Sanjay Manjrekar to Sanju Samson: ‘Batting Is Great, But Fitness Needs Work’

Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar is all praise for Sanju Samson's amazing form for Chennai Super Kings. However, he feels Sanju still has a long way to go when it comes to his fitness.

Sanju Samson is on fire for Chennai Super Kings, but former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has some advice for him on fitness. Manjrekar believes Samson should look to Virat Kohli as a fitness role modeland that he still has room for improvement. Samson, who moved to Chennai from Rajasthan Royals for a massive ₹18 crore, didn't have the best start in his first three games.

But he has made a solid comeback since then. Right now, he's a top contender for the Orange Cap with 402 runs from 10 matches, at an average of 57.42. He has already smashed two centuries and a half-century this season. In the last match against Delhi Capitals, it was Samson's fighting spirit that got Chennai the win. He was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 87 runs from 52 balls on a tricky pitch.

He also set a new record, becoming the first player to be part of two partnerships over 100 runs against Delhi in the same season. While Manjrekar praised Samson's batting skills, he pointed out his shortcomings in fitness... "Sanju Samson should take inspiration from Virat Kohli when it comes to fitness. Sanju has not yet reached Virat Kohli's level of physical fitness," Manjrekar said. "Sanju is going through the best form of his career right now. But to maintain this excellence for a long time, he needs to focus more on fitness, just like Kohli."

Breaking Records Left, Right, and Centre

This season, Samson scored an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals and 101 against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede. On top of that, he also crossed the 5,000-run milestone in the IPL during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.