After a quiet start to the season, Sanju Samson roared back into form in spectacular fashion, smashing a breathtaking century in Chennai Super Kings’ clash against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026.
Playing at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, Samson delivered a knock that not only revived his campaign but also sent the home crowd into a frenzy. His unbeaten 115 off 56 balls powered CSK to a formidable total of 212, marking the first century of the IPL 2026 season.
To make the moment even more memorable, Samson celebrated his milestone with the famous Padayappa-style salute, a tribute to legendary actor Rajinikanth, instantly winning over fans both in the stadium and online.
Early aggression sets the tone for a special innings for Sanju Samson
Samson wasted no time asserting his intent. Opening with confidence, he struck a boundary in the very first over bowled by Auqib Nabi and followed it up with more crisp shots to keep the scoreboard ticking.
While CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad struggled to find rhythm at the other end, Samson took charge of the innings. His fluent stroke play ensured CSK raced to 61 runs in the powerplay, giving the team a much-needed strong start.
Even after Gaikwad’s dismissal shortly after the powerplay, Samson showed maturity by adjusting his approach. He stitched a crucial partnership with Ayush Mhatre, balancing aggression with smart shot selection to stabilize the innings.
From a lucky break to complete dominance
Samson brought up his half-century in just 26 balls, underlining his dominance over the DC bowling attack. However, he did receive a slice of luck when Pathum Nissanka dropped him at deep mid-wicket when he was on 52.
That moment proved costly for Delhi Capitals. From there, Samson shifted gears effortlessly, showcasing his full range of strokes. A towering six over deep extra cover off Kuldeep Yadav stood out as one of the highlights of his innings.
With Mhatre also contributing well and reaching his fifty, CSK surged to 130/1 in 13 overs. The duo kept the pressure firmly on the opposition, ensuring there was no respite for the bowlers.
Also READ: IPL 2026: Here’s why Vipraj Nigam and Nitish Rana are not playing today’s CSK vs DC match
Century celebration and a perfect finish
As he approached the three-figure mark, Samson showed no signs of slowing down. He attacked T Natarajan with confidence, smashing a six and a boundary to move into the nineties.
The century came in style—with a boundary that brought the Chepauk crowd to its feet. What followed was a moment of pure theatre as Samson pulled off the iconic Rajinikanth-style salute, soaking in the applause from all corners of the ground. He remained unbeaten on 115, laced with 14 boundaries and three sixes, ensuring CSK finished strongly with 212 on the board.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Sanju Samson had to come back to form. He is in Too good a form miss out for long. Sanju baba well done 👏 💯
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 11, 2026
– Hundred for Rajasthan Royals.
– Hundred for Delhi Capitals.
– Hundred for CSK.
SANJU SAMSON HAS HUNDREDS FOR THREE DIFFERENT IPL FRANCHISES. pic.twitter.com/1mG4Ias5yL
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 11, 2026
🚨 Bold Prediction 🚨
Sanju Samson will score a match winning hundred today 💯🔥
— The Brevis (@Ben10Brevis) April 11, 2026
Sanju Samson :
For Country. For Franchise. pic.twitter.com/YEwjUd7TKT
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) April 11, 2026
SANJU SAMSON CREATED HISTORY 🥶
Sanju becomes first player to smash century in IPL 2026. pic.twitter.com/fPhWyZb6hV
— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) April 11, 2026
Sanju Samson 115 (56) 🥵🥵🥵
Season’s First Century by Sanju Samson 🔥 🛐 #CSKVSDC pic.twitter.com/NrT3kE6Hi8
— ☄️ (@Bhairava_1) April 11, 2026
Finally Sanju Samson back in form with century 🔥
Thala Ms dhoni fans will be happy now #CSKvsDC pic.twitter.com/aug51ALveR
— revengeseeker (@revengeseekerr) April 11, 2026
SANJU SAMSON TO RAVI SHASTRI. 🗣️
“Please come every match, Ravi sir. You seem to be my lucky charm”🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/rtoz0SRBEc
— Crickpaglu (@kyraweb3ai) April 11, 2026
Sanju Samson entering CSK camp.#CSKvsDC pic.twitter.com/glI5q2PoRE
— 4pennyonhorse (@4pennyonhorse) April 11, 2026
The New Superking, Sanju Samson 💛
1st Century In CSK Jersey 🙌😍#CSKvDC #WhistlePodu #CSK #SanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/9eJwB9LDzl
— 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 (@theashishsingh7) April 11, 2026
Three single digit scores followed by a century is quintessential Sanju Samson lol https://t.co/DEMURfErul
— Amol Joshi (@amalezishi) April 11, 2026
Sanju samson 100 💪💪 https://t.co/Uz0jyqq9B4
— Ashwani Kumar (@Ashwani50644025) April 11, 2026
Sanju samson 115(56) 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qy0HDfOpMb
— Subash S (@SubashS226024) April 11, 2026
– Hundred for Delhi Capitals.
– Hundred for Rajasthan Royals.
– Hundred for Chennai Super Kings.
SANJU SAMSON SCORED HUNDRED FOR 3 IPL TEAMS – WHAT A PLAYER. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/uksIHsdAy2
— The Free Hit (@THEFREEHITHQ) April 11, 2026
Stylish Samson Shining in #yellove 💛 #Aakashvani #ChennaiSuperKings #CSKvsDC #IPL pic.twitter.com/SUQMLrPmKO
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) April 11, 2026
What a masterclass from Sanju Samson today at Chepauk! 115* off just 56 balls pure elegance mixed with brute power. The way he owned the spin and paced the innings was pure Thala energy! CSK fans, this is the Sanju we waited for. Absolute treat pic.twitter.com/xQrvst0MRL
— Saurabh 🏏 (@MR_CricAnalyst) April 11, 2026
Also READ: IPL 2026: Fans slam Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK skipper’s lean patch continues in the clash against DC
