Sanju Samson Suffers Finger Injury During CSK vs GT Clash, Walks Off Mid-Match
Chennai Super Kings suffered a major setback after Sanju Samson injured his fingers while wicketkeeping against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. The CSK star walked off the field for treatment as Urvil Patel replaced him behind the stumps in a crucial playoff battle.
May 21, 2026: In a massive injury scare for Chennai Super Kings, star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was forced to leave the field after suffering a finger injury during CSK’s crucial IPL 2026 clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday. The incident happened while Samson was keeping wickets during pacer Spencer Johnson’s spell.
The injury came at a critical moment for Chennai Super Kings, who entered the match needing a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. After Samson walked off the field for treatment, young Urvil Patel took over wicketkeeping duties for CSK.
How Sanju Samson Suffered the Injury
The incident took place in just the second over of the Gujarat Titans’ innings when opener Sai Sudharsan was facing Spencer Johnson. The left-arm pacer bowled a delivery drifting down the leg side, and Samson moved quickly to collect the ball behind the stumps.
However, the ball swung late after passing the batter and sharply changed direction towards the offside. Samson, who had already committed towards the leg side, reacted at the last second and stretched his gloves to stop the ball. Despite his effort, the delivery brushed his gloves and raced away to the boundary line.
The umpire signalled five wides as the Gujarat Titans received both the extra run for the wide and the boundary. But more importantly for CSK, Samson immediately looked in discomfort after the ball struck his fingers hard while attempting the stop.
The team physio rushed onto the field and provided immediate medical attention before Samson was escorted back to the dugout for further assessment and treatment. At that stage, Urvil Patel entered the field wearing the keeping gloves and took over the wicketkeeping responsibilities.
Sanju Samson got injured while Keeping
- If he didn't get better then humiliating loss coming for CSK#GTvsCSK #CSKvsGT pic.twitter.com/2q3JeoPyXT
— Raja (@_raja_kumar) May 21, 2026
Huge Blow for CSK in Must-Win Match
The injury could prove to be a major setback for Chennai Super Kings in a high-pressure encounter. CSK fans will be hoping for a quick recovery for Samson, who remains one of the side’s most important players both behind the stumps and with the bat.
At the time of the incident, the Gujarat Titans had started strongly after being asked to bat first by Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. GT, currently placed second on the IPL 2026 points table with 16 points from 13 matches, were aiming to secure a top-two finish with a win at home.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings came into the match sixth on the table with 12 points from 13 games and were fighting to stay alive in the playoff race. A defeat would almost end their qualification hopes, making Samson’s injury an even bigger concern for the franchise.
Earlier in the evening, CSK made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Matt Short for Prashant Veer and Gurjapneet Singh in place of Akeal Hosein. Gujarat Titans made one change, with Prasidh Krishna replacing Sai Kishore in the lineup.
Teams
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Matt Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj.