Former Australian captain Aaron Finch praised Sanju Samson’s match-winning performance for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after their dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) on Tuesday night in the IPL 2026.

Samson was named Player of the Match for his brilliant 87* off 52 balls, which included seven fours and six sixes, guiding CSK to a comfortable chase of the 156-run target in just 17.3 overs.

His composed knock led the Super Kings to a crucial victory, as they continued their campaign for the playoffs.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Finch reflected on the pressure faced by big-name signings like Samson, especially when joining a high-profile franchise like CSK.

“He missed out the first couple of games, didn’t he? All of a sudden, there was a massive panic that what has CSK done?” Finch said, referring to Samson’s early struggles in the tournament.

“They’ve got Sanju Samson, and he’s not performing. Two games in T20 are nothing. To go right through a season ultra-consistent is so difficult,” the former Australian captain said.

Finch acknowledged the immense pressure placed on players like Samson, who are brought into a team with high expectations.

Before last year’s auction, the right-handed batter moved from Rajasthan Royals (RR) to CSK for ₹18 crore, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moved to RR for the 2026 season.

“You probably can’t underestimate the pressure on somebody going into a team like CSK. Being a huge marquee signing, particularly when you have traded someone like Jadeja out of the side as well,” Finch said.

The former Australian captain pointed out that despite Samson’s impressive form in the latter stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the transition to CSK was always going to be challenging.

“Although he [Samson] had a dream run at the end of the [T20] World Cup and then he’s come in [at CSK] and missed out a couple of times, there will still be some pride and pressure,” Finch said. “There’s almost some feeling that you can tend to overplay it slightly in your own head that you want to get to a new franchise and really lay down a marker and say I’m here.”

Finch concluded by praising Samson for overcoming the early challenges and producing a performance that lived up to the expectations.

“This is what you’re traded for and the superstar that you’ve been crying out for. So, the fact that he’s batting on a different level is great to see,” Finch said.

After a thumping win over the Capitals, the five-time champions CSK now sit sixth on the points table with five wins from 10 matches.

The young scorer from the Kerala Cricket Association spoke of the two boys who had moved to the city from New Delhi just a couple of days earlier.

“Could you take a look at them?” Sudhir Aly asked Biju George, the SAI coach who conducted training camps at the Govt. Medical College Ground in Thiruvananthapuram and had earned a reputation for nurturing young talent.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star wicketkeeper/batter Sanju Samson etched his name in history books as he completed 5000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), becoming only the 10th batter to achieve this feat in the tournament’s history.

Samson achieved this feat in his side’s clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL in Chennai on Sunday (April 26, 2026).

India opener Sanju Samson and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah were on Monday (April 6, 2026) named among the nominees for the ICC Player of the Month award for March following their success at the T20 World Cup.

South Africa batter Connor Esterhuizen completes the shortlist following an outstanding debut T20I series in New Zealand that saw one of the best statistics after five games by anyone from his country.

Samson’s sizzling form towards the end of the T20 World Cup, which earned him the player of the Tournament award, puts him in the fray alongside Bumrah, who was adjudged the player of the match in the final.

Samson did not get to play in the early part of the tournament but was the standout performer in the big games and helped India retain the title.

He struck 97 not out against the West Indies in what was a virtual quarter-final in Kolkata and followed it with knocks of 89 in the semi-final against England in Mumbai and the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

In the same set of matches, Bumrah grabbed seven wickets at an average of 12.00 and an economy rate of 7.00.

He picked up three wickets in the two matches against the West Indies and England and then produced match-winning figures of four for 15 in four overs against New Zealand in the final.

Esterhuizen scored 200 runs at an average of 50 and a strike-rate of 145.98, helping complete a 3-2 win in New Zealand.

Named player of the series, he reached 551 rating points in the T20I batting rankings, the second highest after five matches by a South Africa player. Esterhuizen reached 39th in the rankings, the fourth-best by any South African after five matches.

History warns us of the paradox of choice and we are often reminded that an overabundance of excellent options is its own kind of prison. The task of choosing six batters and as many bowlers from the embarrassment of riches available in IPL 2026 proved a daunting task.

Statistical stalemates were inevitable in a landscape full of world-beaters, which meant that the final 12-member list was driven by sixth sense.

Sanju Samson (CSK): The elegance with which he wields the bat has made him a perennial favourite for the ‘People’s Choice Award’. The 31-year-old artist, who delivered a masterpiece at the ICC T20 World Cup and won the Lead Actor honours, is primed to extend his purple patch in Chennai’s Yellow.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR): The dashing southpaw has the X-factor to edge ahead in the overcrowded race for a national call-up and a Royal show in the IPL could well trigger it for the 24-year-old batter.

Kohli factor: Royal Challengers can be upbeat knowing that The King will lead the charge in defending the crown.
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

Virat Kohli (RCB): The only batter to score more than 2,000 runs (2,037 runs at an average of 56.58 and strike-rate of 146.54) since the start of IPL 2023, the 37-year-old maestro has not slowed down one bit though T20 batting has gathered pace over the years. Royal Challengers can be upbeat knowing that The King will lead the charge in defending the crown.

Nicholas Pooran (LSG): Since the start of 2024, the Caribbean T20 specialist has smashed 4,671 runs (158 innings at a strike-rate of 155.18) in T20s. The next best (James Vince’s 3,801) puts things in perspective on why the explosive left-hander is one of the most sought-after commodities in franchise cricket.

A 30-minute dose of Head’s fifth-gear batting will be enough to put Sunrisers in the driver’s seat.
| Photo Credit:
FILE PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

Travis Head (SRH): Mr. Destruction strikes at a blistering 170.03 in the IPL. With 834 of his 1,146 runs coming through boundaries (126×4, 55×6), a 30-minute dose of the 32-year-old Australian’s fifth-gear batting will be enough to put Sunrisers in the driver’s seat.

Shimron Hetmyer (RR): The confidence gained from acing the No. 3 role in West Indies colours during the T20 World Cup (248 runs at a strike-rate of 186.47) should help him regain his mojo after a couple of quiet IPL seasons.

Jasprit Bumrah (MI): The peerless India pacer’s selection was the most, and perhaps the only, easy one as he is the world’s best bowler by a country mile.

Varun has a point to prove, and he has too much quality to let his recent slump derail his career trajectory.
| Photo Credit:
FILE PHOTO

Varun Chakaravarthy (KKR): Though the unorthodox spinner finished as the joint top wicket-taker (14) in the T20 World Cup, his economy rate took a beating (9.25 runs per over). He has enough weapons in his arsenal to make a turnaround.

Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS): He is the most prolific bowler in the league’s history (221 wickets). With 174 IPL caps, the veteran leg-spinner has the numbers and guile to throw his hat in the ring for an India call-up again.

Rashid Khan (GT): The spell the Afghan cast over the willow-wielders in the IPL has begun to fade. The leg-spinner had a higher-than-usual economy of 8.93 over the last two seasons and only 19 wickets in 27 matches during that period. But, he has the wherewithal to set the record straight.

Trent Boult (MI): The Kiwi left-arm pacer has the premium quality of scalping wickets in the PowerPlay. With 72 of his 143 victims coming in the first six overs, Boult is the second-most lethal IPL bowler in the PowerPlay (only behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 80 wickets).

Lungi Ngidi (DC): He may not even get to feature in all matches if pace ace Mitchell Starc receives his NOC from Cricket Australia. However, the control and accuracy with which he dished out his loopy slower balls and yorkers against India in the T20 World Cup should be proof enough that he is more than just a back-up option.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya were the four Indians named in the ICC’s Team of 2026 T20 World Cup after their team coasted to a record third title.

Player of the Tournament Samson leads the winning quartet, after the opener’s 321 runs from just five innings.

Samson started the tournament outside of the Indian playing eleven but shone bright with Player of the Match performances against the West Indies and England before making the highest individual score in a Men’s T20 World Cup final with 89 against New Zealand on Sunday (March 8, 2026).

Kishan hit 317 runs – the fourth most of any player – as his performances across the top of the order anchored India’s batting performances with a huge strike rate of 193.29.

He produced a masterful 77 as an opener against Pakistan before adjusting to number three with important knocks against England and New Zealand, including a half-century in the final.

Pandya is the third Indian batter included, with the all-rounder recognised for his contribution with bat and ball. He scored two half-centuries with the bat and produced devastating spells when it mattered, including 52 off 28 against Namibia, while he also took nine wickets in all.

Bumrah is the fourth Indian player in the team, with the Player of the Match in the final recognised for his excellent bowling performances.

Bumrah finished as the tournament’s joint-leading wicket taker, with 14 from eight matches. He finished with figures of four for 15 in the final and posted an economy of 6.21 throughout the tournament.

The top of the order also includes Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, who finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with an aggregate of 383. That came at an average of 76.60 and was headlined by a pair of centuries, against Sri Lanka and Namibia.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament: 1. Sahibzada Farhan 2. Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper) 3. Ishan Kishan 4. Aiden Markram (captain) 5. Hardik Pandya 6. Will Jacks 7. Jason Holder 8. Jasprit Bumrah 9. Lungi Ngidi 10. Adil Rashid 11. Blessing Muzarabani 12th player: Shadley van Schalkwyk.

Great teams have an air of inevitability when it comes to success. The Men in Blue, specifically in T20Is, exude that aura. The West Indies, cutting across formats in the 1970s and ’80s, and its successor Australia, all had this swagger backed by performance.

When Suryakumar Yadav’s men claimed the ICC T20 World Cup at New Zealand’s expense at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, it seemed preordained. Such was India’s dominance. The host retained the title, previously won in 2024, and tided past the pressure of playing in the backyard as soaring expectations could at times choke.

Including the latest conquest, cutting across ODIs and T20Is, India has won five World Cups, and three Champions Trophies. Additionally, nine Asia Cups and the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia, were all secured. This triumphant run commenced in 1983 when Kapil Dev held aloft the World Cup at Lord’s.

Yet, consistency in winning global trophies started only in 2024 as two T20 World Cups and a Champions Trophy have been seized since then. The latest successful effort was mounted on muscular batting and a bowling that had Jasprit Bumrah to step up all the time.

Jasprit Bumrah was the go-to bowler for Suryakumar Yadav.
| Photo Credit:
Emmanual Yogini

That India would get through the group stages and enter the Super Eight was a foregone conclusion. The more difficult part was in sustaining form in the knockout phase. Yes, the clash against Pakistan at Colombo had its own set of difficulties, primarily off the field due to complicated diplomacy and historical angst.

But in all these encounters, India prevailed. South Africa offered a reality check, just like it did during the 2011 50-over World Cup. But then and now, the host moved ahead. This was a campaign in which opener Abhishek Sharma struggled for a large part despite two fifties, with one coming in the final. And Varun Chakaravarthy, who along with Bumrah, finished as the highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps each, had his lukewarm days too.

Sanju Samson was in smashing form in the crunch games.
| Photo Credit:
Emmanual Yogini

But India always marched on. Sanju Samson’s comeback atop the batting tree and his three consecutive 80-plus scores in the last three games, ensured that opening blues were no longer an issue. Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube, all flexed their bats. Hardik Pandya, at times with runs, crucial wickets and bustling energy on the field, was critical to India’s propulsion.

That men like Kishan and Axar Patel, would also be remembered for their fielding, is a reflection of how India ticked most of the boxes. India in the blue shade is in the ascendant.

Hopefully there would be success in Tests too, an attribute that went missing as New Zealand and South Africa came visiting and left with series triumphs. It is one aspect that coach Gautam Gambhir has to address.

Jammu and Kashmir winning the Ranji Trophy is another clue to how cricket’s roots have spread wide, and India is bound to benefit, even as the Indian Premier League saunters into view.

Sanju Samson on Sunday (March 8, 2026) attributed his phenomenal success in the business end of India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign to his “big conversations” with Sachin Tendulkar, saying he had been in constant touch with the batting great for last two months.

Samson was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his explosive knocks in the last three matches of the event, including the semifinal against England and the final against New Zealand.

“For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir. I reached out to him and had big big conversations with him. Getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for?”

“I am very grateful for everyone who supported me,” Samson said India’s 96-run win in the title clash in which he top-scored with a scintillating 89.

Samson, who was struggling prior to the World Cup, added, “Feels like a dream. Very happy and grateful. Out of words, out of emotions.”

“To be honest, it started one-two years before. When I was in the 2024 World Cup team where I didn’t play, I kept visualising, kept on working and this was exactly what I wanted to do. After the New Zealand series I was broken, my dreams were completely shattered.”

“And I was thinking what can I do. But God had different plans. And I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream. A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out.”

Asked what more does he want to achieve, the wicketkeeper-batter said, “This itself is very big for me, I want to enjoy it right now and then after a few days will figure out what more to do.”