The Chennai Super Kings opening duo Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to make a mark in the IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and elected to bowl first on a belter of a pitch. SRH posted a competitive 194/9 in 20 overs, thanks to a blistering start from Abhishek Sharma (59 off 22) before CSK’s bowling unit, led by Anshul Kamboj and Jamie Overton (three wickets each), staged a strong comeback.
SRH vs CSK: Chennai Duo Falter Cheaply
Chasing 195, CSK’s top order faltered badly, highlighting the ongoing struggles of two key batters. Sanju Samson, the swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter who had recently found form with an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals, failed to build on it. He fell early for just 7 off 3 balls (including one six), dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy, caught by Heinrich Klaasen in the powerplay. This continued a pattern of inconsistency despite his match-winning hundred just days earlier.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, leading from the front, looked fluent initially, scoring 19 off 13 balls with three boundaries. However, he got into a tangle attempting a hook shot off Ehsan Malinga and edged behind, departing in the sixth over. His lean patch persisted – just 63 runs in five innings at an average of around 12.60 this season – raising concerns for CSK’s batting stability.
Coach Stephen Fleming has attributed it to the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, but the skipper’s lack of big scores has been a talking point.