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Sanju Samson was compared to MS Dhoni by CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons after Chennai Super Kings’ 23-run victory against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. Samson finally silenced his critics by putting in a Man of the Match performance. The CSK opener struggled in the first three games, scoring 6, 7, and 9. What made it worse is that CSK lost those matches too. But this time, India’s T20 World Cup hero was like a man on a mission.
He took on the CSK bowlers from the get-go, racing to 45* off 19 balls in the first six overs. Then he brought up his half-century off 26 deliveries, and just kept up the momentum. In the 11th over, he smashed T Natarajan for a six, then took a single as CSK passed 100.
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He also built a strong partnership with No. 3 batter Ayush Mhatre. Samson took up the anchor role and got his ton off only 52 balls, clobbering Natarajan for a four. He remained unbeaten at 115* off 56 balls, packed with 15 fours and four maximums, striking at 205.36. CSK posted 212/2 in 20 overs.
Sanju Samson compared to MS Dhoni
What stood out during the stunning knock was Samson’s calmness and composure. Speaking after the match, Simmons compared it to MS Dhoni’s in a huge statement.
“I’ve been privileged to spend many years playing and being involved with MS Dhoni, who is one of the calmest cricketers I’ve ever come across, and Sanju Samson is not far behind him. He understands the game from that perspective,” he said.
“I’ve seen no panic, no sense of desperation. It’s just the way the game goes sometimes. You just have to keep trusting and believing in your quality, and he certainly has that in abundance,” he added,
Chasing 213 runs, DC were bowled out for 189 runs in 20 overs. Tristan Stubbs (60) tried to stage a comeback, but failed to find any support. For CSK, Jamie Overton took a four-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj bagged three dismissals.
Speaking after the match, Samson thanked CSK for their trust in him and said he needed to respond with a good performance.
“Yeah, really means a lot, I think. To be very honest. I think the trust they showed in me, I think having that trade, I think it was very responsible kind of a feeling that I need to put in a show. I need to stand up and say, okay, we are still in the tournament. And luckily everything came off very nicely, I think. As you rightly said, it’s not easy to start off the tournament like this in a different franchise, but it never felt like it’s a different franchise,” he said.
“I think it’s like coming to another home. I think people are so sweet, so nice. And everyone is so calm and relaxed. Even losing three games in a row, we just had a meeting of 50 seconds today. I think that shows how relaxed the franchise is and that really connects with the person I am. So I think very happy to be here,” he further added.
