CSK vs DC: He cared more about the team's victory than his own century! Gavaskar and Sehwag were effusive in their praise for Samson's selfless innings—what did they say?

If the Chennai Super Kings were to keep their playoff hopes alive this season, a victory against the Delhi Capitals was absolutely essential. In the absence of MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson shouldered this responsibility and guided the team to a memorable victory. Chasing a target of 155 runs on the slow pitch at the Kotla was no easy task. Chennai did not get off to a good start either, losing two wickets for just 45 runs. At such a critical juncture, Sanju Samson displayed immense patience and steadied the innings. At one point, he was playing on just 22 runs off 22 balls, but once he got set, he shifted gears in spectacular fashion.

Patience Followed by Explosiveness

Sanju scored an unbeaten 87 runs off 52 balls. Throughout his innings, he demonstrated a perfect blend of class and aggression. Against Delhi’s spinners, in particular, he scored runs intelligently and dispatched loose deliveries to the boundary. Karthik Sharma provided him with excellent support. The duo added an unbeaten 114 runs off 66 balls for the third wicket, effectively sealing the match in Chennai’s favor.

Team First, Not the Century

When asked about his century after the match, Sanju responded with great humility. He said, “A century is always special, but to achieve it, I would have had to be a little selfish. I couldn’t have told my partner not to take singles just so I could complete my century. I felt that winning the match for the team was far more important.” It was this very mindset of Sanju’s that won the hearts of fans and legends alike.

Gavaskar and Sehwag Heap Praise

Sunil Gavaskar described Sanju’s innings as a display of mature batting. He remarked, “Patience always yields great rewards. He got himself set and then accelerated the scoring rate. Had Karthik not played those shots towards the end, Sanju might well have reached his century; however, he chose to play for the team.” Praising his game sense, Virender Sehwag remarked, “He was playing ‘percentage cricket’—attacking only those deliveries that fell within his hitting range. His understanding of the game has improved significantly over the last few years.”

A Strong Contender in the Race for the Orange Cap

Sanju is the only batsman this season to have scored two centuries. In addition to this, he also has a half-century to his name. He has now climbed to the fifth spot on the Orange Cap leaderboard with a total of 402 runs. If Chennai hopes to secure a spot in the knockout stage, the team will continue to look to Sanju for similar match-defining innings in the games ahead. Although Dhoni was absent from the Kotla on Tuesday night, the Chennai fans certainly found a new hero in Sanju Samson.