"Serious challenge": Anil Kumble highlights issues with Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening duo
Published - 06 Apr 2026, 11:20 PM | Updated - 06 Apr 2026, 11:34 PM
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Chennai Super Kings (CSK), one of the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), threatened for another lackluster season after securing a hat-trick of defeats in the early stage of the ongoing league. CSK fans and the cricket experts expressed their concerns over the top order of the team, as their openers, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, failed to deliver after playing three matches in a row.
Currently, the 5-time league winners are positioned in the bottom-most position of the IPL 2026 points table, despite making some expensive signings ahead of the season. CSK will play the inform team, Delhi Capitals (DC), in the upcoming game.
Social media buzzed as Sanju Samson joined CSK ahead of IPL 2026
The social media platforms were buzzing when CSK brought Sanju Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Samson's credibility as a batter in the limited-overs cricket is undeniable.
But, over the years, the talented top-order batter had to struggle with inconsistency. With the Chennai Super Kings, he has been going through another bad patch. In all three previous matches, the star keeper-batter, who is considered the replacement of the team's icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni, was dismissed cheaply.
Both Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad have only gifted disappointments so far in this season
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain and the opening partner of Sanju Samson, also failed to impress so far. The top order batters, who have both experience and tons of runs in the domestic tournaments, have been enjoying the support of the CSK team management, but the positive outcomes are yet to come.
Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings in 2024. As the captain of the team, he recorded 7 consecutive defeats. In this season, the top order batter so far has scored just 41 runs in three games. The experienced opening combination of Samson and Gaikwad has managed 62 runs so far in the ongoing competition.
Anil Kumble raised concerns over Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad
Former India cricketer and legendary spinner, Anil Kumble, mentioned that apart from these two openers, and MS Dhoni, who is currently under a rehabilitation process, the batting order of the team is mostly inexperienced. So, as the senior batters, they have to ensure a solid start at the beginning of the innings.
"It’s a massive concern for Chennai. If your two most experienced batters, Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad, haven’t fired in the first three matches, it becomes a serious challenge. The rest of the batting line-up, apart from Samson and MS Dhoni, is quite young", Anil Kumble explained CSK's real crisis moment, while speaking on Star Sports
*You need at least one of your experienced batters to step up and deliver a big innings. Unfortunately, in the first three games, things haven’t gone Chennai’s way. It’s still early in the season, but they will need to tighten things up quickly," he added further.
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