Sanjay Manjrikar believes Sanju Samson Should be encouraged. Virat Kohli When it comes to fitness, it shows that Samson is not yet at the same physical level as the former India captain.Samson has been one of the standout performers. Chennai Super Kings In IPL 2026. After struggling in his first three matches following his blockbuster Rs 18 crore move from Rajasthan Royals, the wicketkeeper-batsman made a brilliant comeback. Since then, he has scored two centuries and a half-century, scoring 402 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.42 to remain firmly in the race for the Orange Cap.
His latest match-winning effort came against Delhi Capitals, where he scored an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls on a difficult pitch to lead CSK to victory and the Player of the Match award. Samson also became the first batsman in IPL history to score two 100-plus partnerships against Delhi Capitals in the same season.Earlier in the campaign, Samson scored an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in Chennai followed by another century of 101 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. He crossed the milestone of 5,000 IPL runs during CSK’s clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in April 2026.While Samson has turned his season around and carried the momentum from his memorable T20 World Cup comeback, Manjrekar feels the 31-year-old still has room for improvement in terms of fitness and longevity. The former India batsman urged Samson to follow Kohli’s disciplined fitness standards to maintain his purple patch in the shortest format.
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“I am also saying this about Sanju Samson, who is not even 25 years old because he has reached the peak of his achievements, only to maintain it. He can do the same, because I see that his physical condition is not at peak,” Mumbaikar said on Sportsstar’s Insight Edge Podcast.He added, “When you have a great example, like Virat Kohli, who has had such a long career. You know, just because he has given so much importance to fitness. He has got tremendous talent, but he has made sure that the body doesn’t let him down. Because that is what you can control.”
