former indian batsman Suresh Raina Think Sanju Samson should occupy the third position chennai super kings In the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season, it is said that the move will bring better balance to the team’s batting order.Samson enters intense pulsed light In 2026, he performed well and performed well in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored consecutive half-centuries in the opening games of the Super Eights against West Indies, the semi-finals against England and the final against New Zealand.
Raina suggests reshaping CSK’s top order
Despite Samson’s success as an opener, Raina feels that CSK should have retained Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ayush Mhatre at the top of the order. According to Raina, Samson, who is ranked third, will provide stability and help connect the top and mid-orders.“He has been the captain of Rajasthan Royals for many years. I think his role here will be clear. It will be good for me if Sanju plays at No. 3 because then Devalde Brevis will be at No. 4,” Raina said on JioHotstar.Raina further explained that such a batting order will strengthen CSK’s lineup.“Shivam Dube will be at number five. At number six, it depends on who you bring in – whether it’s Prashant Veer, Akhil Hussain or Noor Ahmed. It also depends on how many overseas fast bowlers they choose to take,” he added.
Samson backed to take on goalkeeper role
Raina also backed Samson to take on the wicketkeeping duties for CSK, hinting that veteran skipper MS Dhoni might only play a finishing role with the bat. “Sangju will come in as a goalkeeper. We saw the atmosphere he created during the World Cup. His role is going to be very important in the third position,” Reyna said.He added that allowing Gaikwad and Mhatre to open would bring a more experienced middle order to CSK.“When Brevis came in with Sanju and then Shivam Dube replaced him, it became very important to have someone like Sanju who could bring experience,” Raina explained.Samson makes blockbuster move to CSKSamson joined CSK ahead of IPL 2026 after being traded from Rajasthan Royals ahead of the auction in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The Kerala-born batsman brings a wealth of IPL experience, having played 177 matches and scored 4707 runs at an average of 30.95.
