Aaron Finch calls Sanju Samson the 'superstar' Chennai Super Kings were 'crying out for'
Sanju Samson has silenced early critics with a stellar IPL 2026 campaign for Chennai Super Kings, earning praise from Aaron Finch. After a rocky start, the star batter has delivered crucial performances, including match-winning innings and crossing 5,000 IPL runs, proving his superstar status for CSK.
Aaron Finch praised Sanju Samson for the way he has settled into his new franchise, calling him the superstar Chennai Super Kings had long been waiting to add to their lineup. Samson is featuring in IPL 2026 after a historic Rs 18 crore trade from Rajasthan Royals to CSK. The wicketkeeper-batter has emerged as one of the standout performers of the season, scoring 402 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.
42 and remaining firmly in the Orange Cap race. In CSK’s latest match against Delhi Capitals, Samson produced a match-winning unbeaten 87 off 52 balls on a tricky surface to earn the Player of the Match award. During the innings, he also created history by becoming the first batter to be involved in two 100-plus partnerships against Delhi Capitals in a single IPL season.
Earlier in the tournament, Samson scored an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in Chennai and followed it up with another century, 101 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He also crossed the milestone of 5,000 IPL runs during CSK’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in April 2026. Samson’s season, however, did not begin smoothly.
Having arrived in a blockbuster trade involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, he started IPL 2026 with three single-digit scores, all ending in defeats for CSK. Since then, the wicketkeeper-batter has transformed his campaign, registering three 50-plus scores in his last seven innings, including the decisive unbeaten 87 against Delhi Capitals. Aaron Finch heaped praise on Sanju Samson, calling him the superstar of Chennai Super Kings, "He missed out the first couple of games, didn't he?