New Delhi, India — March 23, 2026
After several months of waiting, excitement is building among cricket fans around the world as the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) fast approaches. And Chennai Super Kings supporters will be hoping that new signing Sanju Samson can make them an elite team once again.
Despite winning the joint-most IPL championships of all time alongside Mumbai Indians, CSK had a year to forget in 2025. They finished with just four wins from 14 matches, the joint-fewest out of all teams.
It was a dismal campaign for the 10-time finalists. However, after acquiring Samson from Rajasthan Royals, fans will be optimistic as the IPL returns.
Sanju Samson Coming Off T20 World Cup Success
Samson had previously played for Rajasthan Royals in 11 out of 13 seasons since first entering the league in 2013.
He built a reputation as an excellent wicketkeeper-batsman, hitting a career-best 531 runs during the 2024 IPL season. Accumulating 4,704 career runs in the competition so far, CSK moved to acquire the Royals’ captain by sending Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran the other way in November 2025.
The excitement that followed the initial news has only grown following India’s triumph at the 2026 T20 World Cup. Samson averaged 80.25 over the tournament, finishing as the leading run-scorer for the champions on 321. His fantastic performances ultimately saw him named Player of the Tournament.
In a team that also includes MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad, Samson could well be the difference-maker for CSK this season. It’s not surprising, then, that many of the top IPL betting sites in India have the team as an outside shout for championship success.
Who are the favourites ahead of the 2026 IPL season?
While CSK could potentially put in much-improved performances in 2026, Stephen Fleming’s team is still not considered the favorite by bookmakers.
Instead, many have Mumbai Indians as the team to beat. Boasting a strong unit which consists of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Jasprit Bumrah, the franchise are well-placed to add to its five IPL titles.
Mumbai’s closest challenger is predicted to be the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Although they will be without Josh Hazlewood in their opening games due to the Australian’s injury, they still have excellent players to call upon, including Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Gujarat Titans could also potentially be a force to be reckoned with if Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler all make big contributions. The same applies to Sunrisers Hyderabad, whose batting lineup of Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen is among the strongest in the league.
Having finished as runners-up in 2025, Punjab Kings could make another surprise appearance in the 2026 final. The Ricky Ponting-coached team retained the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Marcus Stoinis, meaning that they are still one to watch.
When does the IPL begin?
IPL fans don’t have long to wait until the first over of the 2026 IPL gets underway. Reigning champions RCB get the competition started against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.
There will be a sense of familiarity for Samson in his first match for CSK, as they are slated to face Rajasthan Royals on March 30. The 31-year-old could have a huge part to play against his former team.
