Chennai, April 12 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson described his match-winning century against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 18th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium as very special, saying it was driven by a desire to repay the faith shown in him by the franchise after their record-breaking trade ahead of the season.

“I’ve scored a few hundreds in this format, but this one feels a bit special. Scoring it in Chepauk, in front of the home crowd… I didn’t have a proper start, but once I knew I had settled and everything felt right, I didn’t want to leave the ground and just wanted to contribute as much as possible,” Samson said in a video released by IPL on X.

The right-hander admitted that a relaxed mindset, following a successful World Cup campaign, played a crucial role in his approach.

“To be honest, I think I was much more relaxed. Coming out of a really good World Cup definitely helps. There was no point of proving myself, but definitely a point of giving something back to the franchise,” he said.

Samson also highlighted the responsibility he felt after the franchise made a historic move to bring him in by letting go of their talisman, Ravindra Jadeja, along with Sam Curran.

“They have trusted me. They have done their biggest trade ever in the history of the IPL. So I kind of felt, ‘Okay, Sanju, you need to put your hand up and say, I’m going to win a game for you guys.’ That feeling was there,” he added.

The wicketkeeper-batter shared about the challenges he faced earlier in the tournament, where he scored just 22 runs in the opening three matches, revealing that a string of failures had brought doubts but also helped him find a way back.

“To be very honest, after three failures, a lot of doubts definitely come in. I have failed a lot in my career and had setbacks, so I knew how to come back. I just took my own time to settle, and then after the power play, I knew how to accelerate,” Samson explained.

Samson created history by becoming the first player to score centuries for three different Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, securing his first century for CSK after two tons for Rajasthan Royals and a century for Delhi Capitals (DC). He is also the only player to score the first century of the season four times. He achieved the milestone in 2017, 2018, 2021, and in 2026.

Reacting to the record, Samson said, “There is a secret towards it, but I won’t reveal it.”

Samson completed his century in 52 balls and remained unbeaten at 115 as CSK scored 212/2 runs in 20 overs. While chasing a big total, the Delhi Capitals were bundled out for just 189 runs in 20 overs.

–IANS

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