Samson saves the day: CSK finally open their account with a dominant win over Delhi by 23 runs

Chennai Super Kings walked into Saturday night at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with their backs firmly against the wall , winless in three games, anchored to the bottom of the table, and under heavy scrutiny rarely seen for a five time champion. What they needed was a statement. What they got was Sanju Samson at his imperious best .

Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that looked shrewd on paper given their better early season form. But from the very first over, it was clear this was going to be a different CSK. Samson took a particular liking to the pace of Mukesh Kumar, dismantling him for three consecutive boundaries , and the Chepauk crowd roared back to life.

The milestone came in the 18th over, having shared a dominant 100 run stand with youngster Ayush Mhatre, Samson reached his century off just 53 deliveries , a perfect blend of elegance and aggression featuring 13 boundaries and 5 towering sixes . He remained unbeaten on 115 as CSK posted a commanding 212 for 2 . Mhatre chipped in with a sparkling 59 off 36 balls , while Shivam Dube added a breezy cameo at the death.

Delhi’s chase never truly got going. After getting off to a brisk start, DC lost three wickets in quick succession , making a mess of the required rate. Jamie Overton was the chief wrecker, bowling David Miller through the gate with a thunderbolt that clipped the top of leg stump. Tristan Stubbs brought up a gutsy half century off just 30 balls to keep Delhi’s faint hopes alive, but the visitors eventually fell 23 runs short , bowled out in the final over.

With this win, CSK crossed the 200 run mark for the third time this season and finally got off the mark in the points table. Samson, under early pressure after a slow start to his stint, delivered exactly when his team needed him most. Chepauk roared. The yellow army is back .