Irfan Pathan says Sanju Samson could give Chennai Super Kings a key advantage against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 opener thanks to his deep knowledge of the franchise.
Key Points
- Samson joined CSK in a blockbuster IPL trade worth Rs 18 crore after spending more than a decade with Rajasthan Royals.
- Pathan said Samson’s deep understanding of RR’s tactics, players and mindset could give CSK a strategic advantage.
- Samson led Rajasthan Royals from 2021 and guided the team to the IPL final in 2022 under team director Kumar Sangakkara.
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan said that the presence of recently-crowned T20 World Cup 'Player of the Tournament' Sanju Samson will make a lot of difference for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during their campaign opener against Rajasthan Royals (RR) since they will get a lot of information from the ex RR player about a lot of things.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2026, in one of the biggest trades in the tournament's history, Samson was traded from RR to CSK and will don the yellow colours at the price of Rs 18 crores. In turn, Sam Curran and seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were traded to the inaugural champions. While Jadeja's price will go down from Rs 18 crores (at CSK) to Rs 14 crores, Curran will continue receiving his existing fee of Rs 2.4 crores.
Speaking on JioStar, Pathan said how much of a factor Samson could be in the clash against RR scheduled for March 30.
'Samson's presence will make a lot of difference for CSK because no one knows the Rajasthan Royals better than him. From that perspective, you will get inside information from Sanju about how that team plays, how they approach the powerplay, the middle overs, their mindset and even their bowling as well,' Pathan said.
Excited to see how CSK are going to fare
'All the youngsters in Rajasthan Royals have played with and under Sanju, so he will be a huge advantage for CSK, not just in terms of the form he will carry from the T20 World Cup, but the experience of playing in Guwahati will also come in handy for him in the first game.
'I am very excited to see how CSK are going to fare this season because they have brought in some very exciting young players,' he added.
Samson represented Rajasthan Royals for 11 seasons!
Samson had been the face of Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade, representing the franchise in 11 seasons. Having joined RR in 2013, he quickly became one of their key players and was retained ahead of the 2014 season, at just 19 years old.
After RR's two-year suspension (2016-17), Samson returned in 2018 and took over the captaincy in 2021. Under his leadership and with the guidance of team director Kumar Sangakkara, RR reached the IPL final in 2022, their first appearance since winning the inaugural edition in 2008.
Samson led the team in 67 matches, winning and losing 33 each. He had his best IPL season in 2024, scoring 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47, with five fifties. He was retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the 2025 season, but a side injury midway through the campaign ruled him out of the second half of the tournament, as RR's form collapsed, leading to a series of close losses. The team finished ninth out of ten.
In 2025, Samson scored 285 runs in nine innings at an average of above 35 and a strike rate of above 140, with a fifty to his name.
During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Samson also represented the Delhi Capitals (DC).
The star wicketkeeper is RR's top run-getter across the IPL and Champions League T20, with 4,219 runs in 155 matches and 150 innings at an average of 31.96, strike rate of above 140, with two centuries and 26 innings.
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