Samson notched up the first hundred of the IPL 2026 season after a lean run in his first three games for Chennai Super Kings, and played a key role in the side winning by 23 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou can see from his wagon wheel that he plays all around the ground. It\u2019s not just that he has a strong off-side or a strong on-side. What was really impressive was that he was looking to play straight, not with a horizontal bat. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen your initial thought process is to play with a straight bat, and then you make those adjustments when a bowler pitches it short, it becomes much easier for a batter to score runs. His game awareness is excellent, and when he gets going, he makes it count. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe saw that in the T20 World Cup. He didn\u2019t convert those 90s into 100s, but it was different in this game. It was his first hundred for CSK and his fourth overall, a big relief for CSK fans, and also for Sanju Samson, as there was a lot of pressure on him after a tough first three games,\u201d said Kumble on JioHotstar. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who was associated with CSK in the IPL 2021 season, weighed in on how such a win will be a confidence booster for the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe saw that in the T20 World Cup. He didn\u2019t convert those 90s into 100s, but it was different in this game. It was his first hundred for CSK and his fourth overall, a big relief for CSK fans, and also for Sanju Samson, as there was a lot of pressure on him after a tough first three games,\u201d said Kumble on JioHotstar. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou begin to believe that you can make it to the playoffs, because when you are losing, no matter how hard you try to maintain a good environment, there is always some negativity. But when you start winning, everyone begins to think positively,\u201d he added. <\/p>\r\n\r\n