'Had doubts in mind': Sanju Samson after century versus DC
What's the story
Samson has opened up about his recent struggles in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). After a stellar performance in the T20 World Cup, where he scored 97, 89, and 89 in his last three innings to help India lift the trophy, Samson's IPL 2026 campaign started on a disappointing note with scores of just 6, 7, and 9. However, on Saturday, Samson bounced back to form with a brilliant hundred against Delhi Capitals in Chennai.
Mental resilience
'A couple of failures put a lot of doubts'
Addressing his initial IPL struggles, Samson said, "To be very honest, how much form you're in, however many matches you have won for your country, a couple of failures definitely put a lot of doubts in your mind." He added that despite the mental turmoil caused by his poor performance, he was determined to return to basics and trust himself. Notably, Samson made an unbeaten 56-ball 115 against DC as CSK picked their first win of the season.
Game plan
Samson had a lot of thoughts during his struggles
Samson revealed that he had a lot of thoughts about whether to go harder at the start or change his game plan. He said, "So a lot of thoughts came. Should I go harder at the start or should I change my game plan? But I wanted to stick to what was working and luckily, it came off beautifully today." This shows how much he values sticking with what works in cricket.
Fundamental approach
Samson went back to basics
When asked about his change in approach, Samson said he went back to the basics. He explained, "I have failed a lot, and that tells you how you need to come back." The 31-year-old cricketer emphasized the importance of mentally getting into a different zone and physically doing your basics as a batsman.
New beginnings
Samson feels responsibility to repay CSK's faith
This is Samson's first season with Chennai Super Kings after being traded from Rajasthan Royals for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. He said he felt a "responsibility" to repay the faith shown in him by the franchise. "The trust they showed in me, having that trade, I think I felt I needed to put in a show," he said.
Tribute
Samson dedicated his century to coach Stephen Fleming
After scoring a century, Samson dedicated his innings to head coach Stephen Fleming. "That was for Fleming," he said. "I know how hard it can get. I was leading a franchise for the last five years, I know how mentally challenging it can be, so I just wanted to dedicate this to our coach Fleming."