Sanju Samson received a rousing welcome at MA Chidambaram Stadium on 26 February, with supporters chanting loudly for ‘Sanju, Sanju’ while the Indian opening pair were about to start their important T20 World Cup match against Zimbabwe, and excitement filled the stadium for not only this upcoming game but also because of the strong bond developing between Samson and the Chennai faithful as the cricketing world anticipates the IPL 2026 season.
Samson, who previously only took part in very little of the tournament due to Abhishek Sharma being unwell, was given the opportunity to showcase his ability at the top of the order; after continual batting issues for India early in the tournament, the batting order was juggled, resulting in Ishan Kishan moving to No 3 and providing the Indian side with an opportunity to have a right-handed player opening the batting against off-spinners, who have presented problems for Indian batters against those types of bowlers in past ICC tournaments.
The excitement surrounding Samson’s arrival has also spilled onto other areas in Chennai as the Chennai crowd are welcoming him to what will most likely be his home ground in the IPL due to the trade he’d received from the Rajasthan Royals to the Chennai Super Kings, and considering the presence of former/icon MS Dhoni, and the fact that Samson is from the neighbouring/associated state of Kerala, his recent move is creating a fresh buzz in the Chennai area.