Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has thrown his weight behind Sanju Samson, backing him to deliver against Punjab Kings on Friday. Samson, who made a high-profile switch to Chennai Super Kings, had a quiet start to the season, falling cheaply against his former side Rajasthan Royals. He was dismissed for just 6 by Nandre Burger, failing to make an impact in his first outing. However, the wicketkeeper-batter arrived at the IPL on the back of a stellar T20 World Cup campaign, where he played a key role in the knockout stages and earned Player of the Match awards for consecutive match-winning performances.
Srikkanth was confident Samson would bounce back in style, pointing to the familiarity of Chepauk and backing him to take charge once he settles in, predicting an aggressive innings against Punjab Kings.
“The match will be played at Chepauk, the same wicket where Sanju Samson made a comeback in the T20 World Cup and won the Man of the Series. He is definitely going to play a smashing knock. It’s the ideal wicket for him to come back to royal form. Sanju should go berserk after watching the initial four to five deliveries. I believe he will smash PBKS,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“If Sanju Samson clicks, PBKS don’t have anyone to match him”
CSK’s batting line-up crumbled against Rajasthan Royals in their season opener, with key names like Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Ayush Mhatre failing to deliver. None of them could get going as the innings never found momentum, and the team struggled its way to a modest total of just 127.
Srikkanth expects a high-scoring contest between CSK and Punjab Kings, with both sides capable of putting up big totals. While he feels PBKS may hold a slight edge on paper, he believes conditions could favour CSK, especially if Sanju Samson finds form and takes control of the game.
“The team that scores 220 will win the match. Both teams are capable of doing that. The match is 50-50. On paper, PBKS may be the favourite. But on good batting tracks, CSK will do well. Even last year, it was the same. If Sanju Samson clicks, PBKS don’t have anyone to match him,” he added.
