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    STUMP VISION                                                       FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 43

                From Silk to Survival: Sanju Samson’s

            Art, Anxiety, and the Indian Cricket Trial

            Sanju Samson’s move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings felt like the end of one era and the start of

              another. For 11 years, he was Rajasthan’s captain, record-holder, and identity, so walking away was never easy

                      ARCHAN MEHTA

                 anju, a cricketing tale where
                 timing is priceless, until it sud-
            Sdenly isn’t. Cricket moves be-
            tween brilliance and chaos, and Sam-
            son has experienced both on his good
            days the ground feels too small, and
            on his bad days the noise around him
            feels impossible to ignore.  Late 2024
            was his peak, the kind of run that
            turns talent into legend: back-to-back
            T20I  centuries  followed  by  another
            unbeaten hundred that didn’t just
            put him in the record books, but an-
            nounced him as something special. In
            a format obsessed with power, match-
            ups, and brute force, Samson remind-
            ed everyone that pure timing can still       Injuries slowed Samson’s IPL rhythm, and selection uncertainty returned like an uninvited guest (ANI file photo)
            dominate bowlers. But Indian cricket
            is rarely patient, brilliance earns at-  every coach’s favorite example and   Yet, just as momentum seemed   New Zealand’s pacers didn’t out-skill
            tention, not security and that is where   every bowler’s recurring nightmare.  set, cricket did what it always does, it   him; they out-planned him. Short balls
            Samson’s story now stands, shifting   Sanju Samson’s move from Ra-  complicated things. Injuries slowed   into the body, straight lines, minimal
            from comfort to challenge, from art   jasthan Royals to Chennai Super   Samson’s IPL rhythm, and selection   room and Samson’s static footwork
            to anxiety.                       Kings felt like the end of one era and   uncertainty returned like an uninvited   did the rest. Sunil Gavaskar’s critique
                That record-breaking run wasn’t   the start of another. For 11 years, he   guest. Despite those three T20I cen-  cut deep because it was accurate: no
            loud; it was elegant domination. A   was Rajasthan’s captain, record-hold-  turies,  the  management  pivoted  to-  movement, exposed stumps, late reac-
            111 off 47 against Bangladesh in Hy-  er, and identity, so walking away was   wards Shubman Gill, pushing Samson   tions. The golden duck in Guwahati,
            derabad, followed by twin hundreds   never easy. CSK were not just sign-  down the order. The irony was harsh,   first ball from future CSK teammate
            against South Africa, capped by an   ing a batter; they were planning for   Samson lost his place even as Gill   Matt Henry, felt symbolic as if destiny
            unbeaten 109 and a monstrous 210-  the future, with MS Dhoni watch-  struggled to score runs. His role kept   was bowling in-swingers. Meanwhile,
            run partnership against South Africa   ing closely. The  `18-crore price tag   changing,  his  confidence  dropped,   Ishan Kishan was cashing in, Tilak
            felt  like  Samson  had  finally  cracked   brought heavy expectations, because   and his career once again became un-  Varma was waiting, and Abhishek
            the T20 code on his own terms. The   in Chennai, past reputation means   predictable. When Samson finally re-  Sharma had already locked the door.
            numbers were outrageous: over a   little without present form. Just as   turned as an opener, the pressure was   As  selectors  juggle  options, Sam-
            thousand  T20I  runs  at  a  strike  rate   Samson looked set, injuries slowed   even higher. Expectations had piled   son’s margin for error has vanished.
            brushing 150. But what truly separated   him down and selection doubts re-  up, and he was no longer batting just   The final truth is clear and tough,
            him was how he scored them. No slog-  turned.  Despite  his  T20I  centuries,   against bowlers, but against his own   talent gives you chances just not guar-
            sweep spasms, no baseball swings, just   the team management shifted focus   doubts.                  antees. In Indian cricket, timing mat-
            a straight bat, soft hands, and a refus-  to Shubman Gill, pushing Samson   The current slump has been bru-  ters most, and right now, even time
            al to look ugly. When he hit five sixes   down the order. Roles kept changing,   tal. Since January 2025, numbers that   seems to be working against him.
            in an over, it wasn’t brute force; it was   confidence  slipped,  and  when  Sam-  once dazzled now disturb an average   Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to
            geometry. Bowlers weren’t smashed,   son finally returned as an opener, the   barely touching double digits, Pow-  telling compelling stories about athletes,
            they  were  educated.  Somewhere   pressure had doubled, forcing him to   erPlays  becoming  quick  exits,  and   teams, and the world of cricket.
            during  that phase,  Samson became   fight doubt as much as bowlers.  a  technical  flaw  ruthlessly  exposed.

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