Zaheer Khan Weighs In on Sanju Samson’s Poor Form in IPL 2026

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has addressed Sanju Samson’s poor start to IPL 2026 with CSK, saying even Samson himself is still searching for form after managing just 13 runs across 2 matches.

Sanju Samson’s move to Chennai Super Kings ranked among the biggest trades in IPL history. Expectations soared even higher after his starring role in India’s T20 World Cup win. However, the 2026 IPL season has not gone to plan so far.

Samson managed just 13 runs across his first 2 matches for CSK. Former India pacer Zaheer Khan addressed the slump on Cricbuzz. He acknowledged that Samson delivered 3 match-winning knocks at the World Cup but admitted the batter is still hunting for his best form in yellow.

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“There were a lot of expectations from Sanju Samson after his three knocks in the World Cup. The expectation was that once he dons the yellow jersey, it will continue and he will shine like gold,” Zaheer said while speaking on Cricbuzz.

“But even he (Samson) is trying to find his form. If he gets into form, Shivam Dube steps up to the expectation, Ayush Mhatre continues his run, then you can see a different CSK,” he added.

Notably, CSK’s problems run deeper than just poor batting form. Injuries to Nathan Ellis, MS Dhoni and Dewald Brevis have hit the squad hard in the opening weeks.

Zaheer Khan believes this season presents the biggest leadership test of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s career. He also flagged Dhoni’s absence as a massive blow, both on and off the field.

“This is going to be a massive test for Ruturaj Gaikwad this season. He is leading a franchise that has achieved so much. MS Dhoni not being there is also a huge factor. We can see this team heading into a new direction,” Zaheer said.

The former pacer also noted that CSK are clearly navigating a transitional phase. Even the coaching staff looked visibly anxious during their last defeat, according to Zaheer.

“So, there will be a bit of up-and-down. To replicate what MS Dhoni brings when he isn’t on the field, that will always be tough to replicate. Even if you look at their last match, even the coach was looking really worried, because somewhere along the line, he knows that this is a transitional phase,” he concluded.