‘Sanju Samson not going to score every time’: Stephen Fleming shuts down panic over CSK star’s poor start to IPL 2026

Backing his new-signing amid early-season scrutiny, Fleming played down concerns around Samson’s form, insisting that a couple of low scores do not change his match-winning ability.

"He is not going to score every time. It's T20 cricket and he just nicked one today. But, he is in good form. He is training well. And when he gets going, he is often a match-winner. So, two innings don't define an area of concern," Fleming said in the post-match press conference.

Meanwhile, CSK have endured a poor start to the season, losing their first two matches and finding themselves under early pressure once again after finishing at the bottom of the table last year.

Expanding on the changing nature of the format, Fleming spoke about how batting roles have evolved in T20 cricket, pointing out that the traditional idea of designated finishers is no longer as relevant.

“Look, I don’t think there is a thing called finishers anymore. It’s right from ball one, everyone is going at a rate of knocks. It’s not ‘build up to the 16th over and then go harder’. Everyone’s going hard from ball one. So the run rates of 10, 11, 12 all the way through are what’s expected and you’re not really getting the big peaks towards the end," he added.

Also Read - Virat Kohli breaks silence on being called an ‘overseas player’ for RCB in IPL 2026 after moving to London

“We've got Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni on the sideline”: Fleming

Continuing on the same line, Fleming backed CSK’s batting depth, while also pointing to the presence of Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni, who are recovering from injuries, as key sources of power in the line-up.

“It’s just a more aggressive approach to get 240. So you actually have to have players all the way through that are going to be aggressive and that’s certainly the team that we’ve got. Keep in mind we’ve got (Dewald) Brevis on the sideline and you’ve got one of the best finishers in the MS (Dhoni) and there’s some power there but Brevis is in the middle. I’m really content with the pace that we can go,” Fleming said.

Click here to read article