Sanju Samson’s first century in Chennai Super Kings colours set up his team’s first win of the season as they overcame Delhi Capitals by a comfortable 23-run margin at Chepauk.
CSK jump one place, leaving the dreaded last place to move to 9th ahead of KKR who are bottom. That is one of the many reasons CSK will be happy and delighted with. Two successive losses for DC meanwhile and it’s time for them to regroup. It’s time to bring the curtains down on this Saturday’s double-header
It was Samson’s first hundred of the year and also the first hundred of IPL 2026, setting up CSK’s total of 212 for 2. DC lost regular wickets after a good start, and despite Tristan Stubbs’ fighting fifty, fell well short of the target as Jamie Overton’s four-wicket haul closed out the game in favour of CSK.
Sanju Samson | Player of the Match: (on his hundred) “Yeah, really means a lot, I think. To be very honest. I think the trust they showed in me, I think having that trade, I think it was very responsible kind of a feeling that I need to put in a show. I need to stand up and say, okay, we are still in the tournament. And luckily everything came off very nicely, I think.
As you rightly said, it’s not easy to start off the tournament like this in a different franchise, but it never felt like it’s a different franchise. I think it’s like coming to another home. I think people are so sweet, so nice. And everyone is so calm and relaxed. Even losing three games in a row, we just had a meeting of 50 seconds today. I think that shows how relaxed the franchise is and that really connects with the person I am.
So I think very happy to be here. (on going back to basics again) To be honest, I think I have failed a lot. So failing a lot tells you how you need to come back. I think so failing a lot definitely mentally you think about, okay, do you need to go a bit hard or do you need to change your gameplan. So mind gets a bit here and there. So I think you need to bring your mind and body to the basics. So I think I am 31 years old and I’ve spent a lot of time in this sport.
So I need to know what my basics are. So I think basics are to get in mentally in a different zone and also physically do your basics right. I think as a batsman you also know, that we need to come back to timing the ball. Just looking the ball coming out of nicely from the bowler’s hand, so all those things. So we did some really good sessions day before with our supporting staff and very happy things have come nicely today. (on his partnership with Ayush Mhatre) Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s very important to have a really great partnership in this format.
So Ayush, it never looked like he’s just coming out of under-19. He’s showed so much maturity. I think he was hitting those sixes. Also calculative. So that shows the amount of character and clarity he has in his batting. So really happy. (on his hundred celebration) Yeah, that was I think for Fleming. I think I know that how hard it can get. I think leading a franchise from last five years, I know that how mentally challenging it can be. So I think I just wanted to dedicate this to our coach Fleming.”
Brief scores:Chennai Super Kings 212/2 in 20 overs [Sanju Samson 115* (56), Ayush Mhatre 59 (36); Axar Patel 1-39] beat Delhi Capitals 189 in 20 overs [Tristan Stubbs 60 (38), Pathum Nissanka 41 (24); Jamie Overton 4-18, Anshul Kamboj 3-35] by 23 runs.
