Bengaluru, April 6 Head coach Stephen Fleming downplayed Sanju Samson's underwhelming performance in IPL 2026, saying the wicketkeeper-batsman is "going through the process of connecting" with Chennai Super Kings, and he is "desperate" to score runs and contribute to the team's success.
Samson, who joined the Super Kings from Rajasthan Royals amid much hype ahead of IPL 2026, has so far managed scores of 6, 7, and 9 in his first three matches.
"It's difficult when you've been with a franchise (RR) for some time, and even though he probably feels pretty comfortable there, there's still an element of belonging, and he's going through the process of connecting with this team," said Fleming in the post-match press conference.
Samson's modest outings at the top have deprived CSK of the desired quick start in this IPL, but Fleming said the Kerala player is "desperate" to find his rhythm.
"The team (CSK) has five or six changes. So, it's not like it's a set team. There's a little bit of work to be done off the field that we're doing to strengthen the bonds, but he's fine. He's settled in really well."
"He's desperate for some runs and to contribute along with the senior players. We saw during the World Cup campaign what can happen, and when a batter gets in, he is one player who can be very dangerous. So, we'll provide Sanju with all the support and confidence as he builds his career in yellow," he added.
Fleming said they needed to be patient with young CSK players like Ayush Mhatre to find their consistency, who, he said, will form the core of Chennai in the years to come.
Mhatre shone with a fifty in the previous game against Punjab Kings but got out for 1 against Bengaluru.
"Yeah, it's a good balance, isn't it? You can see the talent, but you also have to accept that there will be mistakes. There's a lot of talent, and going forward, it's going to be a really good core of Indian players, especially batters.
"But you're going to get some inconsistency from some of the young players, but you're also going to get some brilliance. He has a good mentor in Mike Hussey, who is a good batting coach and understands the game.
"So, it's about marrying that skill with game sense, and that takes time, but we'll try to get as much of that into these young players as possible, without stifling their natural ability," he detailed.
The former New Zealand skipper said a combination of Tim David's power-hitting and the CSK bowlers' failure to execute their plans consigned the five-time champions to their third straight defeat in IPL 2026.
"The real turning point was Tim David in the last five overs. If you look at the score, we were ahead of them up to about five overs to go, and then they just went like a rocket, and that's really where the game was lost for us."
David made a rollicking 70 off 25 balls to power RCB to a massive 250 for three, but the CSK bowlers also erred in their lines and lengths at the death.
"It was a tough night. We did some good things early on, and then unfortunately, we lost our shape in the last four to five overs.
"If we had just been able to hold our nerve and execute a bit better, we could have chased down 210 or 220, but we got a little shell-shocked, and that affected our batting too," he added.