CSK vs PBKS: Ruturaj Gaikwad hopes opening combo with Sanju Samson clicks

CHENNAI: Just over a month ago, Sanju Samson returned to the India squad against Zimbabwe in the World Cup Super-8 stage and struck a brisk 24 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here. He followed it up with three match-winning knocks in successive games, eventually being named ‘Player of the Tournament’ as India lifted the World Cup.

Come Friday, the wicketkeeper-batter will be back at Chepauk, in yellow.




Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

His CSK debut yielded only six runs, but he will be eager to find the same push he received during that India-Zimbabwe clash, when the Chepauk crowd lifted him with deafening support. Against Punjab Kings, Samson will look to ride that energy again and spark his campaign to life.

His opening partner and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was quick to heap praise on the 31-year-old from Kerala.

“I congratulated him on his first boundary for yellow. Being a south boy, I knew he would always be welcomed here. And I am more delighted to have him in my squad. (He is) A player with a lot of experience, a lot of calibre and definitely someone who I can always go up to. So, you know, it is a good addition. Hopefully, we will have many more partnerships,” he said.
Stay updated with the latest IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL Schedule, check the IPL Points Table, and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple Cap.