Chennai, April 12 (IANS) Sanju Samson’s scintillating unbeaten 115and Jamie Overton’s clinical 4-18 powered Chennai Super Kings to a commanding 23-run victory over Delhi Capitals and got their first win of the IPL 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

Samson, the hero of India’s 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup triumph, lit up Chepauk with the first century of the ongoing season, smashing 115 off just 56 balls, laced with 15 fours and four sixes at a strike-rate of 205.36, as CSK posted a massive 212/2.

In doing so, Samson became the first wicketkeeper-batter to hit an IPL ton for CSK and joined KL Rahul as the only players to score a hundred for three different IPL franchises. He also shared a 113-run stand with youngster Ayush Mhatre, who slammed 59 off 36 deliveries.

Despite the stiff target, DC began their chase brightly as Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul raced past the 50-run mark in the fourth over. However, the momentum shifted decisively when CSK struck thrice in three overs. Overton picked 4-18 – the best figures of the season so far – and used hard lengths well to stifle the DC middle order, along with CSK being sharp in ground fielding.

Tristan Stubbs provided the lone resistance for DC with a fighting 60 off 38 balls, including four fours and three sixes, but the mounting asking rate proved to be too much. Overton got support from debutant Gurjapneet Singh and Anshul Kamboj, who claimed 3-35, as DC were eventually bowled out for 189 in 20 overs.

The result ended CSK’s six-game losing streak at Chepauk and gave them their first points of the tournament. Inserted into batting first, Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad added 61 runs in the Power-play. Samson was fluent from the outset, driving, cutting, and chipping with authority, while Gaikwad laboured to 18-ball 15 before falling to Axar Patel in the seventh over.

Mhatre joined Samson at the crease, and the duo regularly sent balls soaring over the boundary ropes and capitalised on sloppy fielding from DC. Mhatre, who got twin reprieves, was retired out in the 18th over after suffering a brief slowdown – a tactical move that brought Shivam Dube to the crease.

Samson, who was dropped on 52, reached the three-figure mark with a flick off T Natarajan and celebrated with a Padayappa‑style salute that drew roars from the Chepauk crowd donning yellow, chanting his name loudly. Dube ensured the momentum stayed with CSK by chipping in with a brisk 20 off 10 balls, striking two fours and a six in the last two overs as CSK crossed the 210-mark.

Chasing 213, Delhi began brightly as Nissanka and Rahul took 16 runs off Khaleel Ahmed in the second over and raced past fifty in the fourth over with some stunning stroke-play. Nissanka struck five fours and two sixes in his 41, while Rahul looked fluent with two boundaries and a six before mistiming a pull off Khaleel.

At 61/1 after five overs, DC appeared well placed, but CSK had other ideas – Kamboj accounted for Nissanka in the next over, with Dewald Brevis holding on to the chance at mid on. Gurjapneet then marked his IPL debut with a wicket on the first ball, as Axar Patel cut straight to Sarfaraz Khan at backward point.

Sameer Rizvi briefly resisted but fell to Overton, after pulling straight to Brevis at deep square leg. David Miller and Tristan Stubbs attempted to rebuild DC’s chase by taking runs off Noor Ahmad and Khaleel. The duo had a 45-run stand before Overton returned to castle Miller with a pacy delivery.

Ashutosh Sharma’s cameo of 19 off 10, including two sixes, briefly gave CSK a scare, but Noor lured him into a lofted drive that was well taken by Kamboj at sweeper cover. Auqib Nabi followed soon after, caught by Akeal Hosein at extra cover off Overton.

Stubbs, meanwhile, battled on and produced some quality shots on both sides of the wickets and reached his fifty in 30 balls with a brace off Gurjapneet. The asking rate, however, kept climbing. Stubbs’ knock ended when he miscued Overton to Noor at mid off. His dismissal in the 19th over effectively sealed the contest, as Kamboj took out Kuldeep Yadav and Lungi Ngidi to close the game in CSK’s favour.

Brief scores:

Chennai Super Kings 212/2 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 115 not out, Ayush Mhatre 59; Axar Patel 1-39) beat Delhi Capitals 189 all out in 20 overs (Tristan Stubbs 60, Pathum Nissanka 41; Jamie Overton 4-18, Anshul Kamboj 3-35) by 23 runs

–IANS

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