Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth believes CSK opener Sanju Samson has a great chance to win the Orange Cap in the ongoing IPL 2026. Samson scored a brilliant knock of 101 runs off just 54 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday to help his team post a par score of 207 runs on the board.
The flamboyant batter scored 10 fours and six maximums in his knock as he scored his runs at a strike rate of 187.04. Samson has scored 293 runs in seven matches of IPL 2026 at an average of 58.60 and a strike rate of 178.65 and he is currently the third highest run-getter in the tournament. Only Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen are ahead of him in the Orange Cap race.
Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “This is not the Sanju we’ve seen over the years. Usually, he’s a swashbuckler. But today, he scored at a rapid pace yet never looked like getting out. There was not a single shot he looked like getting out. At no point did he look flustered or like getting out. He has a great chance to win the Orange Cap this season because he’s playing with such ease.”
He added, “When nobody else scores from both teams, and you score and win it for your team, that knock will be remembered for a long time. This wasn’t just one of the good knocks of a match or one that came when the match was over. This knock just stood out as a standalone. The others also scored fast because of his presence. They knew there was nothing to worry about as long as Sanju was at the crease.”
However, the 1983 World Cup winning player expressed concerns regarding the rest of the CSK’s batters as none of them could breach the 25-run mark against MI.
“CSK escaped because of Sanju Samson. But they are still struggling with the bat. Dube is woefully out of form, and Sarfaraz is a hit or miss. Ruturaj Gaikwad is never playing well. He is in a competition with Riyan Parag, Ajinkya Rahane, and Hardik Pandya for who is struggling the most as captain with the bat.”
Chennai Super Kings will next take on Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Sunday.
