“It’s challenging when you’ve been with a franchise (RR) for a while; despite feeling comfortable, there’s still a sense of belonging, and he’s navigating the process of bonding with this new team,” Fleming stated during the post-match press conference.
Samson’s struggle coincides with Chennai’s three consecutive losses. He was traded to CSK before the season, with Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moving to the Royals.
“The team (CSK) has seen five or six changes. So, it’s not a settled squad. We are putting in some work off the field to enhance team bonds, but he’s settling in quite well.
“He’s eager for runs and wants to contribute alongside the senior players. We witnessed his potential during the World Cup, and when he gets going, he can be quite dangerous. We’ll provide him with all the support and confidence as he finds his feet in yellow,” he added.
Patience with the younger lot
Fleming emphasized the importance of patience with young CSK talents like Ayush Mhatre, who he believes will be foundational for Chennai in the coming years.
Mhatre excelled with a fifty in the last match against Punjab Kings but was dismissed for just 1 against Bengaluru.
“It’s a good balance, isn’t it? You can see the talent, but you have to accept that mistakes will happen. There’s significant potential, and moving forward, we expect a strong core of Indian players, particularly batters.
“However, some inconsistency is expected from the younger players, but brilliance will also emerge. He’s fortunate to have Mike Hussey as a mentor, an exceptional batting coach with a deep understanding of the game.
“We aim to combine skill with game sense, which takes time. We’ll emphasize that growth without inhibiting their natural talent,” he elaborated.
The former New Zealand captain remarked that a combination of Tim David’s explosive batting and CSK bowlers failing to execute their strategies led to the five-time champions’ third consecutive loss in IPL 2026.
“The pivotal moment was Tim David’s performance in the final overs; their acceleration in the last five overs was crucial. Until about five overs left, we were ahead, but then they surged, which is where we lost the game.” David scored a breathtaking 70 off 25 balls, propelling RCB to a hefty total of 250 for three, while the CSK bowlers struggled with their lines and lengths at the end.
“It was a tough night; we began well but unfortunately lost shape in the final four to five overs.
“If we could have maintained our composure and executed better, we could have aimed for a score of 210 or 220, but we became a bit shell-shocked, which affected our batting early on as well,” he noted.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Apr 7, 2026 5:08 PM IST
