Sports news
#IPL #RCB #sheds #inhibitions #emerge #modern #T20 #behemoth">IPL 2026: RCB sheds old inhibitions to emerge as modern T20 behemoth In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought. Rajat Patidar’s men have since begun the 2026 season with similar assurance, winning three of their first four matches.
Their 18-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday was further evidence that a side long associated with on-field struggles has quietly transformed itself into a clinical and well-rounded T20 team.
Lessons from the past
It is easy to say in retrospect, but there were signs that RCB could turn its fabled fortunes around. The 2025 title win came after a mega-auction reset, but in the five preceding seasons (2020 to 2024), RCB qualified for the playoffs four times, building a base of consistency even without silverware.
The last of those playoff appearances, in 2024, came on the back of a borderline miraculous run. The side recovered from losing seven of its first eight league matches by winning its next six in a row to sneak into the final qualification spot, before losing the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
That turnaround was driven by a clear shift in approach with the bat. Over that run, its run rate rose from 9.16 in the first eight matches to 10.23 in the final seven, while scoring rates across all three phases increased significantly.
More importantly, the middle-overs slowdown disappeared almost entirely, with batters continuing to attack and maintaining a far more even scoring pattern through the innings.
Life in the fast lane
Since 2025, the personnel have changed entirely, barring Virat Kohli and Patidar, but the attacking intent has not waned. RCB has struck at 9.63 with the bat and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
(insert – )
While none of its phase-wise run rates — 9.36 in the PowerPlay, 9.04 in the middle overs, and 11.42 at the death — are the very best in the league, they all rank in the top half, underlining the consistency of the batting unit.
Leading the way is the opening pair of Phil Salt and Kohli. Salt, picked for Rs. 11.50 crore after his performances in Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title-winning campaign, is one of the most aggressive PowerPlay batters in world cricket. He complements the more measured Kohli, who has nevertheless found an extra gear.
Together, the pair has put on 731 runs (the third-most of any opening pair) at an average of 43 and a run rate of 10.34 since the start of 2025, combining volume with tempo to give RCB a strong platform.
Unlike the RCB sides of the past, the burden of run-scoring has not rested on a handful of players. Over the 2025 season, 10 different batters have scored half-centuries for the team.
Equally impressively, among frontline batters who have faced at least 10 balls since the start of the 2025 season, all but two have struck at over 140.
(insert – )
RCB’s batting line-up has thus been remodelled into one that bats deep, scores quickly, and produces contributions across the order. Perhaps more significantly, RCB has shown early signs of correcting a key weakness. In 2025, it won seven of eight matches while chasing, compared to five in eight batting first; in 2026, two of its three wins have already come while setting a target.
The early bird gets the worm
If the batting has been solid without being exceptional, the bowling in the PowerPlay has been dominant. No team has taken more wickets in the first six overs than RCB’s 34. It also leads in average (30.94), strike rate (20.1), and dot-ball percentage (45.1%), while ranking second in economy (9.22).
This dominance is driven by the pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who account for 20 of those 34 wickets. Interestingly, for two bowlers known for extracting movement with the new ball, their best work has come in the latter half of the PowerPlay.
(insert – )
Twelve of those wickets have come in that phase, and the team’s 18 wickets between overs four and six are comfortably the best in the league.
Those early breakthroughs have often dented top-heavy batting units and set the stage for the spinners through the middle overs. While RCB’s spinners take relatively fewer wickets, they have been effective, as seen in Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul in the 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
Sharing the experience around
After the 2025 mega-auction, RCB released videos outlining its strategy. In one of them, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat spoke about prioritising spending on the starting XII and building a strong Indian core.
That approach aligned with a broader trend: experienced teams tend to win IPL finals. Since 2022, only two players in their maiden IPL season have featured for a title-winning side in a final.
RCB also identified a lack of experience in its Indian contingent in 2024, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik accounting for 65 per cent of the IPL caps among Indian players.
The auction strategy reflected that insight. The franchise invested heavily in an Indian core, bringing in Bhuvneshwar (Rs. 10.75 crore), Krunal (Rs. 5.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (Rs. 11 crore), and Devdutt Padikkal (Rs. 2 crore).
None of them dominated pre-auction chatter, and even the most expensive among them went for less than half of what Rishabh Pant commanded. Despite entering the auction with the second-highest purse (Rs. 83 crore), RCB signed just one marquee player.
Yet, this group proved crucial in raising the team’s floor, using experience and clarity to bridge the gap between its best and worst performances, a long-standing issue for the franchise. Each also delivered match-winning contributions at key moments.
A well-constructed T20 team
Everything came together on that night at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The planning, clarity, and execution aligned as RCB emerged as IPL champion for the first time.
Beyond the narrative of a drought ending, this is also a story of how a well-constructed team, built on sound principles and a clear understanding of modern T20 cricket, came into being.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought.…
Sports news
#IPL #RCB #sheds #inhibitions #emerge #modern #T20 #behemoth">IPL 2026: RCB sheds old inhibitions to emerge as modern T20 behemoth
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought. Rajat Patidar’s men have since begun the 2026 season with similar assurance, winning three of their first four matches.
Their 18-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday was further evidence that a side long associated with on-field struggles has quietly transformed itself into a clinical and well-rounded T20 team.
Lessons from the past
It is easy to say in retrospect, but there were signs that RCB could turn its fabled fortunes around. The 2025 title win came after a mega-auction reset, but in the five preceding seasons (2020 to 2024), RCB qualified for the playoffs four times, building a base of consistency even without silverware.
The last of those playoff appearances, in 2024, came on the back of a borderline miraculous run. The side recovered from losing seven of its first eight league matches by winning its next six in a row to sneak into the final qualification spot, before losing the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
That turnaround was driven by a clear shift in approach with the bat. Over that run, its run rate rose from 9.16 in the first eight matches to 10.23 in the final seven, while scoring rates across all three phases increased significantly.
More importantly, the middle-overs slowdown disappeared almost entirely, with batters continuing to attack and maintaining a far more even scoring pattern through the innings.
Life in the fast lane
Since 2025, the personnel have changed entirely, barring Virat Kohli and Patidar, but the attacking intent has not waned. RCB has struck at 9.63 with the bat and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
(insert – )
While none of its phase-wise run rates — 9.36 in the PowerPlay, 9.04 in the middle overs, and 11.42 at the death — are the very best in the league, they all rank in the top half, underlining the consistency of the batting unit.
Leading the way is the opening pair of Phil Salt and Kohli. Salt, picked for Rs. 11.50 crore after his performances in Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title-winning campaign, is one of the most aggressive PowerPlay batters in world cricket. He complements the more measured Kohli, who has nevertheless found an extra gear.
Together, the pair has put on 731 runs (the third-most of any opening pair) at an average of 43 and a run rate of 10.34 since the start of 2025, combining volume with tempo to give RCB a strong platform.
Unlike the RCB sides of the past, the burden of run-scoring has not rested on a handful of players. Over the 2025 season, 10 different batters have scored half-centuries for the team.
Equally impressively, among frontline batters who have faced at least 10 balls since the start of the 2025 season, all but two have struck at over 140.
(insert – )
RCB’s batting line-up has thus been remodelled into one that bats deep, scores quickly, and produces contributions across the order. Perhaps more significantly, RCB has shown early signs of correcting a key weakness. In 2025, it won seven of eight matches while chasing, compared to five in eight batting first; in 2026, two of its three wins have already come while setting a target.
The early bird gets the worm
If the batting has been solid without being exceptional, the bowling in the PowerPlay has been dominant. No team has taken more wickets in the first six overs than RCB’s 34. It also leads in average (30.94), strike rate (20.1), and dot-ball percentage (45.1%), while ranking second in economy (9.22).
This dominance is driven by the pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who account for 20 of those 34 wickets. Interestingly, for two bowlers known for extracting movement with the new ball, their best work has come in the latter half of the PowerPlay.
(insert – )
Twelve of those wickets have come in that phase, and the team’s 18 wickets between overs four and six are comfortably the best in the league.
Those early breakthroughs have often dented top-heavy batting units and set the stage for the spinners through the middle overs. While RCB’s spinners take relatively fewer wickets, they have been effective, as seen in Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul in the 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
Sharing the experience around
After the 2025 mega-auction, RCB released videos outlining its strategy. In one of them, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat spoke about prioritising spending on the starting XII and building a strong Indian core.
That approach aligned with a broader trend: experienced teams tend to win IPL finals. Since 2022, only two players in their maiden IPL season have featured for a title-winning side in a final.
RCB also identified a lack of experience in its Indian contingent in 2024, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik accounting for 65 per cent of the IPL caps among Indian players.
The auction strategy reflected that insight. The franchise invested heavily in an Indian core, bringing in Bhuvneshwar (Rs. 10.75 crore), Krunal (Rs. 5.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (Rs. 11 crore), and Devdutt Padikkal (Rs. 2 crore).
None of them dominated pre-auction chatter, and even the most expensive among them went for less than half of what Rishabh Pant commanded. Despite entering the auction with the second-highest purse (Rs. 83 crore), RCB signed just one marquee player.
Yet, this group proved crucial in raising the team’s floor, using experience and clarity to bridge the gap between its best and worst performances, a long-standing issue for the franchise. Each also delivered match-winning contributions at key moments.
A well-constructed T20 team
Everything came together on that night at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The planning, clarity, and execution aligned as RCB emerged as IPL champion for the first time.
Beyond the narrative of a drought ending, this is also a story of how a well-constructed team, built on sound principles and a clear understanding of modern T20 cricket, came into being.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought. Rajat Patidar’s men have since begun the 2026 season with similar assurance, winning three of their first four matches.
Their 18-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday was further evidence that a side long associated with on-field struggles has quietly transformed itself into a clinical and well-rounded T20 team.
Lessons from the past
It is easy to say in retrospect, but there were signs that RCB could turn its fabled fortunes around. The 2025 title win came after a mega-auction reset, but in the five preceding seasons (2020 to 2024), RCB qualified for the playoffs four times, building a base of consistency even without silverware.
The last of those playoff appearances, in 2024, came on the back of a borderline miraculous run. The side recovered from losing seven of its first eight league matches by winning its next six in a row to sneak into the final qualification spot, before losing the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
That turnaround was driven by a clear shift in approach with the bat. Over that run, its run rate rose from 9.16 in the first eight matches to 10.23 in the final seven, while scoring rates across all three phases increased significantly.
More importantly, the middle-overs slowdown disappeared almost entirely, with batters continuing to attack and maintaining a far more even scoring pattern through the innings.
Life in the fast lane
Since 2025, the personnel have changed entirely, barring Virat Kohli and Patidar, but the attacking intent has not waned. RCB has struck at 9.63 with the bat and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
(insert – )
While none of its phase-wise run rates — 9.36 in the PowerPlay, 9.04 in the middle overs, and 11.42 at the death — are the very best in the league, they all rank in the top half, underlining the consistency of the batting unit.
Leading the way is the opening pair of Phil Salt and Kohli. Salt, picked for Rs. 11.50 crore after his performances in Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title-winning campaign, is one of the most aggressive PowerPlay batters in world cricket. He complements the more measured Kohli, who has nevertheless found an extra gear.
Together, the pair has put on 731 runs (the third-most of any opening pair) at an average of 43 and a run rate of 10.34 since the start of 2025, combining volume with tempo to give RCB a strong platform.
Unlike the RCB sides of the past, the burden of run-scoring has not rested on a handful of players. Over the 2025 season, 10 different batters have scored half-centuries for the team.
Equally impressively, among frontline batters who have faced at least 10 balls since the start of the 2025 season, all but two have struck at over 140.
(insert – )
RCB’s batting line-up has thus been remodelled into one that bats deep, scores quickly, and produces contributions across the order. Perhaps more significantly, RCB has shown early signs of correcting a key weakness. In 2025, it won seven of eight matches while chasing, compared to five in eight batting first; in 2026, two of its three wins have already come while setting a target.
The early bird gets the worm
If the batting has been solid without being exceptional, the bowling in the PowerPlay has been dominant. No team has taken more wickets in the first six overs than RCB’s 34. It also leads in average (30.94), strike rate (20.1), and dot-ball percentage (45.1%), while ranking second in economy (9.22).
This dominance is driven by the pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who account for 20 of those 34 wickets. Interestingly, for two bowlers known for extracting movement with the new ball, their best work has come in the latter half of the PowerPlay.
(insert – )
Twelve of those wickets have come in that phase, and the team’s 18 wickets between overs four and six are comfortably the best in the league.
Those early breakthroughs have often dented top-heavy batting units and set the stage for the spinners through the middle overs. While RCB’s spinners take relatively fewer wickets, they have been effective, as seen in Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul in the 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
Sharing the experience around
After the 2025 mega-auction, RCB released videos outlining its strategy. In one of them, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat spoke about prioritising spending on the starting XII and building a strong Indian core.
That approach aligned with a broader trend: experienced teams tend to win IPL finals. Since 2022, only two players in their maiden IPL season have featured for a title-winning side in a final.
RCB also identified a lack of experience in its Indian contingent in 2024, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik accounting for 65 per cent of the IPL caps among Indian players.
The auction strategy reflected that insight. The franchise invested heavily in an Indian core, bringing in Bhuvneshwar (Rs. 10.75 crore), Krunal (Rs. 5.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (Rs. 11 crore), and Devdutt Padikkal (Rs. 2 crore).
None of them dominated pre-auction chatter, and even the most expensive among them went for less than half of what Rishabh Pant commanded. Despite entering the auction with the second-highest purse (Rs. 83 crore), RCB signed just one marquee player.
Yet, this group proved crucial in raising the team’s floor, using experience and clarity to bridge the gap between its best and worst performances, a long-standing issue for the franchise. Each also delivered match-winning contributions at key moments.
A well-constructed T20 team
Everything came together on that night at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The planning, clarity, and execution aligned as RCB emerged as IPL champion for the first time.
Beyond the narrative of a drought ending, this is also a story of how a well-constructed team, built on sound principles and a clear understanding of modern T20 cricket, came into being.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought.…
![IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/rfo0xt/article70853376.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/image%2013.jpg?ssl=1 "IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey")
Sports news
#IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey">IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey
Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].
The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.
Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.
A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.
On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.
Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.
The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.
While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.
A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation.
The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man.
Published on Apr 12, 2026
Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].
The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.
Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.
A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.
On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.
Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.
The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.
While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.
A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation.
The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man.
Published on Apr 12, 2026
Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story…
![IPL 2026: Overton is living in an environment where he feels he is backed, says CSK bowling coach Simmons Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling coach Eric Simmons attributed the team’s improved bowling performance in the victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) to ‘better execution of plans’.After being plundered for 250 runs by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the last game, the CSK bowling group regrouped to defend 212 against DC and earn the side’s first points this season. Simmons suggested that the performance in Bengaluru wasn’t very far off what the team displayed in front of the home fans six days later. “Last game we lost, people looked at it as a huge loss. When we analysed the game, we found it was bigger than it really was. Tonight, things went our way. The guys stuck to the plan, understood the dimensions of the field, and knew where to bowl and not,” he said at the post-match press conference.The star of the night with the ball was English pacer Jamie Overton, who finished with figures of four for 18, a week after being carted for 42 in just three by RCB. The coach said Overton reaped the rewards of sticking to his strengths and understanding what the team requires from him.“He tried something which didn’t work against RCB, but he went back to his strength tonight. He rattled everybody with his pace. When you’re bowling 150 kmph, having an off-pace delivery that is under 120 is really effective,” the South African said.“Sometimes, you bowl the same ball, and the ball goes up in the air, the next time it goes over the fence for six. [Going for runs] doesn’t make you a bad bowler. He’s just living in an environment where he’s feeling he’s backed, and I think that’s important for a bowler in the modern game,” he added. Simmons also spelt out the rationale behind CSK signing the currently-injured Spencer Johnson as a replacement for Nathan Ellis.“Strategically, to have someone like him with his pace and left-arm bowling is really important. We’re not sure how much of a role he’ll play this year, but that’s fine. A lot of scouting is finding out from people who know the individuals. That was certainly done to get an understanding. He’s got a lot of attributes that we were excited about,” Simmons explained.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Overton #living #environment #feels #backed #CSK #bowling #coach #Simmons](https://i3.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/no6pjm/article70853249.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/image.jpg?ssl=1 "IPL 2026: Overton is living in an environment where he feels he is backed, says CSK bowling coach Simmons Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling coach Eric Simmons attributed the team’s improved bowling performance in the victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) to ‘better execution of plans’.After being plundered for 250 runs by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the last game, the CSK bowling group regrouped to defend 212 against DC and earn the side’s first points this season. Simmons suggested that the performance in Bengaluru wasn’t very far off what the team displayed in front of the home fans six days later. “Last game we lost, people looked at it as a huge loss. When we analysed the game, we found it was bigger than it really was. Tonight, things went our way. The guys stuck to the plan, understood the dimensions of the field, and knew where to bowl and not,” he said at the post-match press conference.The star of the night with the ball was English pacer Jamie Overton, who finished with figures of four for 18, a week after being carted for 42 in just three by RCB. The coach said Overton reaped the rewards of sticking to his strengths and understanding what the team requires from him.“He tried something which didn’t work against RCB, but he went back to his strength tonight. He rattled everybody with his pace. When you’re bowling 150 kmph, having an off-pace delivery that is under 120 is really effective,” the South African said.“Sometimes, you bowl the same ball, and the ball goes up in the air, the next time it goes over the fence for six. [Going for runs] doesn’t make you a bad bowler. He’s just living in an environment where he’s feeling he’s backed, and I think that’s important for a bowler in the modern game,” he added. Simmons also spelt out the rationale behind CSK signing the currently-injured Spencer Johnson as a replacement for Nathan Ellis.“Strategically, to have someone like him with his pace and left-arm bowling is really important. We’re not sure how much of a role he’ll play this year, but that’s fine. A lot of scouting is finding out from people who know the individuals. That was certainly done to get an understanding. He’s got a lot of attributes that we were excited about,” Simmons explained.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Overton #living #environment #feels #backed #CSK #bowling #coach #Simmons")
