Bottom of the pile now sits Chennai Super Kings, lagging behind in the ten-side race of IPL 2026. Three games down, zero wins up, one crushing loss handed by reigning titleholders Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Little light shows ahead for these five-time winners without serious shift in form. While that sinks in, ex-England batter Kevin Pietersen – part of the tournament’s broadcast crew – got wind of a curious offer.
A message popped up on social media asking CSK to get Pietersen onboard – “Hey @ChennaiIPL, how about bringing in @KP24 as your Mentor.”
Pietersen had a hilarious take on the proposal. “Yes please. It’s closer to Maldives. Easier travel for me.”
Still, Stephen Fleming brushed aside
concerns about Sanju Samson’s quiet phase in IPL 2026, noting how the wicketkeeper batsman is slowly finding his rhythm within the Chennai Super Kings setup; hunger isn’t missing – he clearly wants to pile up runs for the team. While results haven’t come yet, that drive remains loud and clear.
Out of nowhere, Samson landed with the Super Kings after leaving Rajasthan Royals before IPL 2026, surrounded by big talk. First match brought just six runs. Then seven followed in the next outing. Nine came in the third, nothing more. So far, numbers haven’t matched the noise.
“It’s difficult when you’ve been at a franchise (RR) for some time and even though he probably feels pretty comfortable 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.
Fleming reckons the Kerala player’s hungry to lock into a groove. A slow start from Samson up front has left CSK missing that early burst they wanted this IPL.
Few faces shifted in the squad – maybe five, maybe six. Not exactly the same group you saw before. Off-field pieces are clicking into place slowly, helping everyone gel. Things feel more connected now. He settled right in without fuss.
“He’s desperate for some runs and to contribute along with the senior players. We saw with his World Cup (campaign) what can happen and when a batter gets on a run he is one guy that can be very dangerous. So, there’ll be nothing but support and confidence given from us to Sanju as he forges his path in yellow,” he added
