Sanju Samson produced a defining IPL 2026 innings for Chennai Super Kings, hammering an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. It was the kind of statement knock CSK had been waiting for, especially after Samson’s slow start to the season. Batting first, Chennai rode on its class and control to post a commanding 212/2, before its bowlers backed it up by dismissing DC for 189 to seal a 23-run win on Saturday.

What made the innings even more significant was the timing. Samson had been under pressure after a few modest scores, but he walked out with clarity and responded in the best possible way. His century was not just about power; it was built on timing, composure and an ability to keep the scoreboard moving without looking rushed.

After the match, Sanju Samson shared a warm moment with former India head coach Ravi Shastri during the mid-innings interview and thanked him in a light-hearted way.

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“Yes, sir, feels great thanks to you. I think you seem to be my lucky person to meet before every game, so please come every game sir,” Sanju Samson said.

The wicketkeeper-batter later opened up about the doubts that can creep in after a rough patch, even for a player in good touch and high on confidence. For Samson, the key was not to overhaul his game but to trust the method that had worked for him for years.

“I think to be very honest, I think how much ever form you are in, how much ever matches you have won for your country, a couple of failures definitely put lot of doubts in your mind,” he said. “But I just wanted to go back and do my basics and believe in myself and just stick to my scoring patterns actually.”

He added that the biggest challenge was resisting the urge to force change too quickly.

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“I failed a lot. Failing a lot tells you how to come back,” Sanju Samson said at the presentation. “You need to bring your body and mind to basics. We need to come back to timing the ball, and watching it come out nicely from the bowler’s hand.”

The knock was a major milestone too — Samson’s first fifty-plus score for CSK, his fourth IPL century overall, and the first hundred of IPL 2026. More importantly, it may have given Chennai Super Kings the lift they badly needed.