Sanju Samson made a spectacular comeback as he scored a match-winning century that turned the ongoing IPL 2026 season around for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Sanju Samson played a brilliant unbeaten inning of 115 runs in just 56 balls in a high-pressure match against Delhi Capitals on 11 April.
Chennai Super Kings registered their first win in the ongoing IPL 2026 by defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by 23 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium after a disappointing start, helped by brilliant efforts from the experienced wicketkeeper-batsman.
Sanju Samson’s century rescues CSK after a tough start in IPL 2026
Before the Chepauk turnaround, they had faced three consecutive defeats. However, Samson’s journey with Chennai Super Kings has not been easy. He had failed miserably in the first three matches, scoring 6, 7 and 9 and his form was already being questioned.
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But he stuck to his natural game and now his patience has paid off in a big way. Samson admitted that early failures created doubts in his mind. After a strong campaign at the T20 World Cup 2026, where he was the Player of the Tournament, the Kerala star was hoping for a good start with CSK, but three poor scores have raised questions about his outlook.
Failures definitely create a lot of doubts in the mind: Samson
The right-handed batsman revealed that he also thought about changing his game plan, but ultimately, instead of thinking too much, he decided to rely on his basics and favored his natural batting style. And the result against DC was surprising, as he was happy with the way things turned out.
Sanju Samson said in the post-match presentation, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo: “To be honest, how much form you have been in, how many matches you have won for your country, and a few failures definitely create a lot of doubts in your mind.
But I just wanted to go back and do my basics and believe in myself and stick to my scoring pattern. So a lot of ideas came. Should I work harder in the beginning or should I change my game plan? But I wanted to stick to what was working, and luckily, it came through beautifully today.
Sanju Samson calls Chennai Super Kings “another home”
This is Samson’s first season with CSK after his historic trade move from Rajasthan Royals, where he spent several years. Despite the change, he said it never felt like it was a new environment, as the team welcomed him warmly. Sanju also praised the calm atmosphere inside the CSK camp.
The Indian wicketkeeper said, “It is not easy to start the tournament like this in a different franchise, but it never felt like it was a different franchise. I think it is like coming to a second home. I think the people are very lovely, very nice and everyone is very calm.”
Sanju Samson lauds CSK’s calm dressing room culture
Samson shared that the team remained relaxed and focused even after losing three matches and they had a short meeting before the DC match which helped the players concentrate instead of overthinking and brought everyone together.
The Kerala star signed off by saying, “Even after losing three games in a row, we had just a 50-second meeting today. It shows what kind of franchise this is, and it really connects to the person I am. Very happy to be here.”
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