Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Eric Simons heaped praise on MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson, highlighting the calm approach they bring to big moments in T20 cricket. Speaking after the match, Simons said Dhoni is among the most composed players he has ever worked with, while adding that Samson carries a remarkably similar temperament—staying steady, confident, and avoiding the trap of over-preparing when form dips.
Simons explained that his long association with Dhoni has shown him what composure looks like at the highest level. “I’ve had the privilege to spend many years playing and being involved with Dhoni,” Simons said. “He’s one of the calmest cricketers I’ve ever come across. And Sanju Samson isn’t far behind that—he understands the game from that perspective as well. I’ve seen no panic, no sense of practising more, doing more, maybe even less.”
He then addressed Samson’s recent turnaround in the Indian Premier League. After three disappointing outings for his new IPL franchise, Samson announced his arrival in style on Saturday in Chennai with a commanding hundred against the Delhi Capitals.
For Simons, the key point was that talent of Samson’s calibre never truly disappears—poor runs are often temporary, shaped by match-to-match variables. The coach stressed that elite players must trust their skills, keep their confidence intact, and remain patient, because the return of good outcomes is only a matter of time.
“When you’ve got the class of a player like him, you know it’s just temporary if you have a bad run of form,” Simons said. “Sometimes it’s about luck, he got a great delivery from (Nandre) Burger at one game—it’s just the way it goes. One ball goes for four to the boundary, he edges one, he gets caught, so there was never any doubt that this was coming. And I think the mindset of a cricketer of his stature is important—you’ve just got to keep trusting him, believing in your quality, and certainly he’s got that sort of an abundance.”
Samson’s milestone innings and record spree
- Samson became the first batter in IPL history to register centuries for three different franchises, adding a landmark maiden ton for CSK.
- Following three difficult IPL performances, he returned with an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls, striking at 205.36, including 11 fours and four sixes.
- Across his four IPL centuries, Samson has scored twice for Rajasthan Royals (in the 2019 and 2021 seasons) and once for Delhi Capitals (in the 2017 season), before his CSK breakthrough.
- He also reached a major T20 mark by completing 400 sixes in the format, becoming the fourth Indian to do so—joining Rohit Sharma (554), Virat Kohli (441), and Suryakumar Yadav (442).
- After that achievement, Samson’s tally stands at 401 sixes in T20 cricket.
