Sanju Samson dedicated his match-winning century to coach Stephen Fleming after guiding Chennai Super Kings to a 23 run win over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League on Saturday at MA Chidambaram Stadium. The win also helped CSK open their account this season.
One key moment came after Samson reached his hundred. He celebrated with a salute towards the CSK dugout. He later explained the reason behind it.
“That was for Fleming,” Samson said. “I know how challenging it can be to lead and manage a team for a long time. I just wanted to dedicate the innings to him.”
Samson joined CSK this season in a big trade that involved Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. He played a stunning knock of 115 not out from 56 balls. His innings had 15 fours and four sixes. It was a strong comeback after scores of 6, 7 and 9 in the first three matches.
The 31 year old said he had doubts after the poor start. But he chose to stay simple and trust his basics.
“Failures do bring doubts, no matter how much experience you have,” Samson said. “I had to go back to basics—focus on timing, watch the ball closely, and trust what has worked for me over the years.”
He also praised the support staff for helping him stay calm.
“Mentally, it’s about finding that zone again and sticking to your processes. We had good preparation sessions, and I’m happy it came together today,” he said.
Delhi Capitals failed to chase the target and could not match CSK’s scoring rate. But the night belonged to Samson, who led CSK’s first strong performance this season.
A key part of the innings was his 113 run stand with young batter Ayush Mhatre, who scored 59. The partnership helped CSK recover from early trouble and take control.
“He batted with a lot of maturity,” Samson said. “He didn’t look like someone new to this level. His decision-making was very calculated and mature.”
Samson also spoke about moving to a new team after leading Rajasthan Royals before. He said CSK made him feel welcome from the start.
“It didn’t feel like I had joined a new franchise,” he said. “The group is very welcoming. Even after three losses, the atmosphere remained very composed. That really helped me settle.”
He said he felt a strong sense of duty after the trade.
“I felt I had to stand up and contribute, to show that we are still in the tournament,” he noted.
With this win, CSK have ended their losing run and will hope to build momentum in IPL 2026.
