"He's one guy who can be very dominant": Fleming backs Sanju Samson amid poor run in IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming emphasised that T20 cricket can change rapidly and a batter in form can be highly dominant, while expressing strong confidence in Sanju Samson, assuring that the team will fully support him as he continues to grow in the CSK setup.

This came after Chennai Super Kings' marquee signing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Sanju Samson, endured another disappointing outing, failing for the third consecutive match.

CSK made a bold move ahead of the IPL 2026, trading Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, parting ways with key players Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in the process.

Chasing a daunting 251 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Samson once again failed to score as he was removed for a single-digit score, as CSK slumped to their third straight defeat of the campaign.

"In T20 can change quickly. We saw in the T20 World Cup what can happen, and when a batter gets on a run, he's one guy who can be very dominant. He's one guy who can be very dangerous. So there will be nothing but support and confidence from our side to Sanju as he forges his path in yellow," Fleming told the reporters after the match.

Fleming defended Sanju Samson amid his poor run, stating that the wicketkeeper-batter was still settling into the team.

"It's difficult when you've been at a franchise for some time, and even though he probably feels pretty comfortable, there's still an element of belonging. He's going through the process of connecting with this team, and the team has got five or six changes, so it's not like it's a settled side," Fleming said.

"So there's a little bit of work to be done off the field, which we're doing, just to make the bonds a bit tighter. But he's fine. He's fitted in really well. He's desperate for some runs and to contribute, along with Ruturaj and the other senior players," Fleming concluded.

RCB registered a commanding 43-run win over CSK in the IPL 2026 match on Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Tim David's 25-ball 70-run innings, along with contributions from other batters, and an all-round effort with the ball led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, helped defending champions RCB clinch their second consecutive win of the season.

Explosive knocks from Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar helped RCB put up a massive 250/3 against five-time champions CSK. CSK, despite a 25-ball 50 from Sarfaraz Khan, a 43-run knock off 29 balls from Prashant Veer, and a 16-ball 37 cameo from Jamie Overton, fell short by 43 runs as the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led CSK got bundled out for 207/10 in 19.4 overs.

The win marks RCB's second win in as many IPL 2026 matches, and now they sit atop the points table with four points and an impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.501. CSK, on the other hand, find themselves at the bottom of the IPL 2026 standings with no wins in three matches.