Which team will Sanju Samson play for in IPL 2026?
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Sanju Samson was Player of the Match in the semi-final against England in T20 World Cup 2026.
India’s wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson has played just four games in T20 World Cup 2026 but has made a mark with his brilliant performance. The right-handed batsman has scored 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73.
Samson was not preferred in the playing XI in the initial games with the management opting with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma as openers. The duo failed to provide solid starts and Samson was eventually chosen to open with Abhishek, especially after India’s struggles against off-spinners.
The move vanished India’s batting woes as Samson hit back-to-back half-centuries in two crucial games. With his unbeaten 97 runs, he led the team to victory by five wickets against West Indies in a must-win game of the Super 8 round.
In the semi-final against England, he rocked with the bat once again and smashed quickfire 89 runs off 42 deliveries. With his knock, he set the stage for India’s mammoth 250-plus total in the first innings. Samson was adjudged Player of the Match in both matches for his batting heroics.
Sanju Samson will represent Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
Notably, Samson will start a fresh journey in Indian Premier League 2026 as he will represent Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The franchise included Samson into their squad ahead of the IPL 2026 through a big trade deal with Rajasthan Royals (RR).
In a landmark trade, CSK traded in Sanju in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from RR. While Samson was retained at his existing price of INR 18 crore, Jadeja was given a revised fee of INR 14 crore.
The Men-in-Yellow roped in Samson as a long-term successor for MS Dhoni as a wicket-keeper batsman. He can also play as an opening batter.
Meanwhile, Samson made his debut in IPL 2013 for Rajasthan and played for the team till the 2015 season. When RR were banned from 2016 to 2017, he represented Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). From 2018 to 2025, he represented RR and also captained the side from 2021 to 2025.
Over the years, the wicket-keeper batter has played 176 games in the tournament, scoring 4704 runs at an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 139. He has also hammered three centuries and 26 fifties in IPL.
Sanju Samson will play for which team in IPL 2026?
Samson will play for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026.
Who was Player of the Match in IND vs ENG semi-final of T20 World Cup?
Sanju Samson was Player of the Match in IND vs ENG semi-final of T20 World Cup.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.