Chennai, April 11 After three lackluster performances, Sanju Samson rediscovered his batting prowess with a brilliant century, and the bowlers regained their form as Chennai Super Kings defeated Delhi Capitals by 23 runs to register their first win of IPL 2026 on Saturday.
Samson (115 not out, 56 balls) and Ayush Mhatre (59, 36 balls) put on 113 runs for the second wicket, helping CSK reach a competitive 212 for two, while the Delhi Capitals struggled against Jamie Overton's excellent spell (4/18) and were bowled out for 189.
Tristan Stubbs (60) delayed the inevitable for DC with a courageous half-century.
While this was Chennai Super Kings' first win of the season, Delhi Capitals suffered their second consecutive defeat.
Chasing 213, Delhi made a strong start, scoring 61 in just five overs through a fine partnership between openers KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka (41).
However, the dismissal of Nissanka slowed down DC. Nissanka, whose catch was missed by Khaleel Ahmed off Anshul Kamboj, failed to capitalize on the opportunity and went on to mis-hit the next ball off the pacer to Dewald Brevis at the edge of the circle.
At 61 for two in 5.2 overs, DC were still in a good position, but the Chennai bowlers changed their strategy at this stage.
Their pacers – Overton, Khaleel, and Kamboj – started hitting the ball into the red soil surface and extracted good bounce, putting pressure on the DC batters.
Sameer Rizvi and Axar Patel fell prey to such deliveries, and Sarfaraz Khan played a key role in Rizvi's dismissal with a brilliant diving catch at point.
They still had David Miller and Tristan Stubbs to challenge CSK, but Overton's accurate delivery clipped Miller's leg-stump, further worrying the Delhi side.
However, Samson was the key to CSK's successful Chepauk night.
After being asked to bat first, Samson scored his first substantial innings in the yellow jersey, and partnered well with Mhatre for the second wicket, scoring 113 runs in 11 overs.
This was Samson's fourth IPL century, the first for CSK and the first of the season.
Samson's big score was essential for both him and CSK to restore the confidence of the fans, and he delivered on this night with a brilliant innings in front of home fans.
It was a typical Samson innings. The Kerala batter had looked unsure of his footwork and field placements in earlier matches this season, but on this occasion, Samson returned to form.
Samson's feet, eyes, and hands regained their coordination, and the shots flowed freely off his bat. However, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to accelerate even in the Power Play, and his 62-run opening partnership was largely built on Samson's aggression.
Samson gave an early indication of his form with two consecutive fours off pacer Mukesh Kumar, and his six over extra cover off left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the highlight of his innings.
Samson also benefited from a dropped catch by Pathum Nissanka near long-off off Axar Patel, allowing him to reach 55. He then completed his fifty in 26 balls, one less than Mhatre, and his century in 52 balls, helping CSK gain momentum.
Mhatre, on the other hand, was a treat to watch until he was retired out to give Shivam Dube a chance.
However, Mhatre entertained the Chepauk crowd with some stylish shots until he was retired.