Samson ton leads Chennai to its first IPL win and Punjab chases down Hyderabad's 219
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11:12 AM on Saturday, April 11
The Associated Press
CHENNAI, India (AP) — Sanju Samson's first century for his new team helped Chennai Super Kings to their first win in the Indian Premier League as Delhi Capitals were beaten by 23 runs on Saturday.
Samson blasted 115 not out off 56 balls in his fourth game for Chennai, helping the side notch 212-2.
After his onslaught of 15 boundaries and four sixes, Delhi was bowled out for 189. Jamie Overton picked 4-18 in four overs.
Delhi remained fourth in the table after its second loss in four games. Chennai was ninth in the 10-team league.
Earlier in Chandigarh, skipper Shreyas Iyer hit five sixes in scoring 69 not out off 33 balls as Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets.
Punjab achieved its second highest successful chase in the IPL with 223-4 in 18.5 overs. Openers Priyansh Arya (57) and Prabhsimran Singh (51) gave Punjab a rollicking start.
Iyer then took center stage as Punjab won for a third time in four games.
Hyderabad racked up 219-6 on the back of Abhishek Sharma's 74 off 28 balls, with five fours and eight sixes.
Put into bat, Chennai scored a slow 62 before losing its first wicket. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad used 18 balls for 15 runs.
Teenager Ayush Mhatre compensated with 59 off 36 — his second half-century of the season — including three fours and four sixes. He added 62 off 38 with Samson, who reached 50 off 26 with nine fours. Samson then accelerated to his fourth IPL hundred off another 26 balls, this time hitting three sixes.
Mhatre retired so Chennai could find more momentum in the death overs. Shivam Dube added 20 off 10 but Chennai managed only 52 runs in the last five overs.
It was too much for Delhi though. Pathum Nissanka contributed 41 off 24 but Overton hit the middle order and took out Sameer Rizvi and David Miller cheaply. Skipper Axar Patel, at No. 4, fell for 1.
Tristan Stubbs raised hopes with 60 off 38 including three sixes but he waged a lone battle.
Beside Overton, Anshul Kamboj picked 3-35.
Chasing 220, Punjab openers Arya and Singh scored 93 runs in the powerplay. They hit 50 off 21 balls and the next 50 off only 18 balls.
Arya brought up his 50 off 16 balls with four sixes and five boundaries, the second quickest IPL half-century for Punjab. Arya took 21 runs off Harshal Patel in the sixth over.
Singh scored 50 off 24 balls with four sixes.
Left-arm wrist spinner Shivang Kumar (3-33) got a double breakthrough — Arya was caught at deep midwicket in the seventh over, and two overs later Singh was caught at long off.
Iyer took over, scoring 54 off 21 in a partnership of 69 off 35 with impact substitute Nehal Wadhera.
Iyer stayed unbeaten to the end as Punjab crossed the finish line with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, Hyderabad openers Sharma and Travis Head were also remarkable. They scored 105 runs in the powerplay.
Together, the teams hit 16 sixes in the powerplays, an IPL record for a single game.
Sharma smashed 50 off only 18 balls with five sixes. Head scored 38 off 23 and both openers were dismissed in the space of three balls by Shashank Singh's medium pace in the ninth over.
Head was caught at long on, and two balls later Sharma was caught at deep cover.
Hyderabad crossed 200 but Punjab pulled off a third successful chase this season.
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