Overview
- Samson told JioStar's 'Superstars' on Friday that leaving Rajasthan Royals after 11 seasons was a calculated gamble he discussed with his family before accepting a pre-auction trade to Chennai Super Kings for INR 18 crore.
- He said he wanted to 'start from zero' at CSK because of concerns about fitting his style to Chepauk's slow, spin-friendly surface and the uncertainty that follows formally asking to leave a franchise.
- Samson began IPL 2026 with three single-digit scores, then said a short conversation with MS Dhoni at practice — advising him to stick to his natural game — was the turning point that preceded an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals.
- He finished the season with 477 runs in 14 innings at an average of 43.36 and a strike rate of 165.63, including two centuries and one fifty, even as CSK finished eighth with six wins and eight losses.
- Having captained Rajasthan Royals for five seasons, Samson explained he did not seek leadership at CSK because he believes captaincy should be given, and he favored enjoying his batting under Ruturaj Gaikwad and the franchise's familiar coaching setup.