Sanju Samson entered this IPL season riding high after the World Cup heroics and got a lot of praise. He switched teams and joined CSK. He didn't even reach double‑digits in the first three games, and then the trolls and criticism started pouring in, adding pressure for the next match. And bang!! he smashed a century in that game.
What's up with this guy? Does he actually thrive on pressure and criticism? He seems to play his best when everyone's pointing fingers, while he stays calm when things are easy.
(https://i.ibb.co/Q3tHbK6d/swhvx51stlug1.jpg)
Sometimes it feels like he forgets his game in a few matches. Look at how effortlessly he played today and during the World Cup – he makes cricket look easy. Yet on other days he seems to have a memory lapse and can't find his rhythm. I don't think anyone can fully explain it, but he's definitely improved and deserves long‑term support.
His early‑season slump could be due to pressure or the new franchise environment, I think he just needed time to settle.
He swings between centuries and single‑digit scores.
He's the masochist of cricket, bro.
Sanju performs best when he's well rested, which usually happens at the start of an IPL season. This year he was busy after the World Cup, but he went home to rest before the DC game and came back refreshed.
I think it was just fatigue from the World Cup. In fact, most of our Indian players from the T20 World Cup 11 were playing poorly in the first few IPL 2026 matches, but they're slowly stepping up again.
The moment the catch was dropped I was 100% sure he'd score a hundred today.
He's like:
Jab tak gaali nahi khayega,
tab tak run nahi banayega.
It's a pattern – a string of low scores, then criticism, then a sensational knock.
His hundred for CSK came in a winning cause; the last time CSK saw that was in the 2018 final.
Chomus, it was just fatigue after the World Cup; a short break before this match helped him get back in form.
He peaked during the World Cup, and that career high can bring mental fatigue, especially with new surroundings, expectations and pressure.
CSK knew what they were getting when they used Jadeja as bait for the swap – a wicket‑keeper with captaincy potential, a solid fan base and strong batting skills.
He's set to become a legend at CSK, no doubt, unless he really messes things up.