Sanju Samson has finally arrived at the party in IPL 2026, and that too in some style. The player, who seemed to be struggling to find his timing, finally broke the shackles in the home game against Delhi Capitals to score his first hundred in CSK colours.
The former Rajasthan Royals skipper, with his knock of 115*, also became the first centurion of this year’s IPL. More importantly, it brought a turnaround in CSK’s fortunes as they registered their first win after three consecutive losses.
Sanju Samson scores first hundred in IPL 2026
Having won the toss, Axar Patel asked CSK to bat first. Playing in his second home game for CSK, Samson made full use of the conditions.
He began positively against debutant Auqib Nabi. A crisp cover drive that fetched three runs seemed to give him confidence. He followed it up with a boundary on the fourth ball, and from that point, the shackles seemed to break.
Over the next three overs, Samson struck five boundaries off Mukesh Chaudhary, Nabi, and Axar Patel, showing he was completely in control. Another key moment was his 61-run opening partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad.
This was also the first time this season that CSK came out of the powerplay without losing a wicket. Having already lost eight wickets in four games, they had struggled badly in this phase, but Samson put all of that behind him.
He brought up his fifty in just 26 balls and then raced to his century in 52 balls. The fifty came via a streaky boundary, but he immediately followed it with a controlled reverse lap, showing complete command over his innings.
Samson finished unbeaten on 115 off 56 balls, smashing 15 fours and 4 sixes. This was his fourth IPL century, and with it, he moved ahead of AB de Villiers in the list of players with the most hundreds in the tournament.
Struggles of Samson in new colours
Samson was one of the biggest signings for CSK ahead of the IPL auction. He was traded from Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, which naturally brought high expectations.
However, he struggled in the opening games. In the first three matches against RR, PBKS, and RCB, he scored 6, 7, and 9, failing to make an impact.
What made it more surprising was his form in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where he played a crucial role in India’s title-winning campaign. Despite playing only four matches, he was named Player of the Tournament for his match-defining contributions.
That made his early IPL struggles difficult to digest for CSK fans.
But with this century, Samson has made a strong comeback. The two points will serve as a major boost for a team that is used to winning.
If this knock is any indication, Samson may just be getting started, and CSK will hope he continues to deliver as the season progresses.
