Sanju Samson explained the reason for his celebration of Padyappa after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) win over Delhi Capitals (DC). The wicketkeeper-batsman dedicated the gesture to CSK coach Stephen Fleming after he scored an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls which helped ensure ČSK’s first victory of the season.
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Samson’s century came after a difficult start to the campaign and he decided to mark the milestone with it mimicking the iconic salute from Rajnikanth’s cult Tamil film Padyappa. In a postgame presentation, Samson acknowledged the challenges Fleming faces in leading the franchise and said the celebration was a sign of respect.
“That was for Stephen Fleming. I know how hard it can be to lead a franchise. I know how challenging it is. So I wanted to dedicate it to our coach Fleming,” Samson said.
‘BACK TO BASICS’
After three low scores in the opening matches, Samson finally found a form that resembled his World T20 2026 performance. It was his first century for CSK since switching from Rajasthan Royals during the off-season.
Samson said the deal reflected the trust CSK had placed in him and instilled a sense of responsibility. He was determined to help the team get back to winning ways.
“It really means a lot. The trust they put in me with the deal, it was a sense of responsibility. I wanted to lead the team on the right path. It’s not easy to start a new franchise, but it didn’t seem like it. Everyone was so nice, so welcoming, so calm and relaxed. Even though we lost three games, we had a meeting in just 50 seconds,” I said today with a kind person.
Reflecting on his recent struggles, Samson said he went back to basics and used his past failures to get back in touch.
“I’ve failed a lot. So failing a lot tells you how you have to come back. When you fail, you think hard about if you need to change something. The mind goes crazy. But I’m 31 years old, I’ve failed a lot. I know it’s about getting back to basics. I know what my basics are. It’s about being in the right zone, seeing it mentally and going back to the ball we made.” a few days ago a few sessions and I’m glad it worked out,” he added.
Samson and CSK will look to build on this momentum when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next match on Tuesday, April 14.
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Published on:
12 Apr 2026 03:00 IST
