
Sanju Samson scored his maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) hundred in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) colours and went on level with Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill in the list of most hundreds, after reaching the milestone in just 52 balls against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. It was also the first hundred in IPL 2026.
Having been traded from Rajasthan Royals, Samson had a tough start to his IPL journey at CSK with scores of 6, 7 and 9. This was after his T20 World Cup 2026 high, where Samson's 97 not out, 89, 89 in the final three games powered India to the third world title in the shortest format.
On Saturday, Samson made most use of his dropped chance, to convert it into three figures, with a thick outside edge of T Natarajan. Samson's hundred was also the second century by a CSK batter against Delhi Capitals in IPL after Murali Vijay’s 113 at the same venue in 2012.
In the process, Samson went on level with Gill, Shane Watson and David Warner, who all have four IPL hundreds hundreds to their names. The list is headed by none other than Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli (8), followed by Englishman Jos Buttler (7), Chris Gayle (6) and KL Rahul.
| Player | Teams | Centuries | Highest Score |
| Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 8 | 113* |
| Jos Buttler | Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans | 7 | 124 |
| Chris Gayle | Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings | 6 | 175* |
| KL Rahul | Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals | 5 | 132* |
| Shubman Gill | Kolkata Knight Riders, Gujarat Titans | 4 | 129 |
| Shane Watson | Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings | 4 | 117* |
| David Warner | Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 4 | 126 |
| Sanju Samson | Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings | 4 | 119 |
| AB de Villiers | Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 3 | 133* |
| Rohit Sharma | Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians | 2 | 109* |
Samson’s first hundred in IPL came for Delhi Capitals when he scored 102 off just 63 balls against now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. His net two centuries came in Rajasthan Royals colours - 102 not out (vs SRH, 2019) and 119 (vs PBKS, 2021). He finished unbeaten at 115 off 56 balls, studded with 15 fours and four sixes as CSK ended at 212/2 in 20 overs.
With this hundred, Samson also broke MS Dhoni's for most runs by a CSK wicketkeeper in IPL. Before Samson's hundred, Dhoni held the record with a score of 84 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2019. Samson also became the ninth CSK batter to score an IPL hundred.
Before Samson, the likes of Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway had scored hundreds for CSK in IPL. Had not Samson being dropped by Pathum Nissanka, the story could have been different for both Delhi Capitals and CSK. He also became the first batter to score IPL hundreds with three different franchises.
Speaking after the game, Samson admitted the failures in the previous three games definitely put him in doubt mentally. “I think to be very honest, I think how much ever form you are in, how much ever matches you have won for your country, a couple of failures definitely put lot of doubts in your mind,” Samson said in response to a Ravi Shastri question during the break.
“But I just wanted to go back and do my basics and believe in myself and just stick to my scoring patterns actually. So a lot of thoughts came, I think should I go harder in the start or should I change my gameplan. But I definitely want to stick to what was working and luckily it came off beautifully today.”
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Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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