Sanju Samson: CSK's new recruit boasts 4,500-plus IPL runs
14 Mar 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, are gearing up for a new season with a fresh strategy.

The team's shift from experience to youth was clearly visible in the mini-auction. They went all out for promising players like Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer.

In what is being hailed as a historic deal, CSK also traded in Rajasthan Royals talisman Sanju Samson to secure their future.

On this note, let's look at Samson's stellar IPL record.

Samson has been in red-hot form lately
Trade

CSK, who finished last in IPL 2025, traded out prominent all-rounders Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja to acquire Samson from Rajasthan Royals for ₹18 crore.

Notably, Samson, who was RR's designated captain from 2021 to 2025 season, will now play under Ruturaj Gaikwad's leadership.

The former is set to open the innings after a record-breaking run in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Samson bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament award with three back-to-back scores of 85-plus.

Samson's long history with RR
Journey

Samson, 31, first played for RR from IPL 2013 to 2015 before rejoining them in 2018 after a two-year stint with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).

Notably, he made his IPL debut with RR as an 18-year-old.

The dasher was appointed captain of the team in 2021.

In 2022, he led RR to their first IPL final since winning the inaugural edition in 2008. They lost the summit clash to Gujarat Titans.

Here are his IPL stats
Career

Last season, Samson became the first player to score 4,000 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL history, as per ESPNcricinfo.

He played 149 matches for the franchise and scored 4,027 runs at an average of 31.70 with a strike rate of 141.24.

The tally includes two centuries and 23 fifties.

Overall, he boasts 4,704 runs from 117 IPL games at 30.94 (SR: 139.04).

This includes 29 scores of 50 or more, including three tons.

Notable records of Samson in IPL
DYK

Each of Samson's three IPL tons - including two for RR - has come while batting at three or lower.

The legendary AB de Villiers is the only batter with as many IPL tons in these positions.

Samson had his most prolific season in IPL 2024, scoring over 500 runs for the first time in a season.

He finished with 531 runs across 15 matches at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47.