Sanju Samson anchors Chennai to 8-wicket win over Delhi in Indian Premier League

DELHI, India (AP) - Opening batter Sanju Samson smashed an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls and anchored Chennai Super Kings to an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Samson, who has scored two centuries this season for his new franchise, led Chennai to 159-2 with 15 balls to spare as the five-time champions continued a remarkable turnaround in the tournament with three wins in the last four games.

Delhi was limited to 155-7 with spinners Akeal Hosein (1-19) and Noor Ahmad (2-22) troubling the home team batters on a tricky wicket.

"They are calling me 'Cheetah' but I like Sanju more," said a smiling Samson after his match-winning knock. "I have been working a bit on my initial movement and it has been coming off. I had to be a bit too selfish to get a hundred so I thought let's win the game ... finishing not out, winning the game gives you more satisfaction."

Samson was slow off the blocks and scored run-a-ball 22 before cutting loose in the latter half of the chase and smashing six sixes and seven boundaries. Kartik Sharma made an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls and together with Samson shared a match-winning partnership of 114 runs to leave Delhi at No. 7 with four wins in 10 games.

Chennai is at No. 6 with 10 points from five wins and five losses.

Lungi Ngidi had provided Delhi an early breakthrough when captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (6) couldn't time his flick well and was caught at deep square leg in the fourth over and Urvil Patel hit two sixes in his brief knock of 17 off nine balls before he got stumped soon after the power play.

But Chennai's persistence with Kartik Sharma in the middle-order paid off as he controlled the chase with Samson. Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav's (0-34) struggle continued in the middle overs while Mitchell Starc (0-30) also couldn't get through the defenses of the two set batters in his return spell.

"We were 10-15 runs short and the wicket got a little better to bat on later in the game," Delhi skipper Axar Patel said. "It wasn't easy for new batters to get set, but with set batters they were able to take the game away."

Delhi struggled to get momentum when Mukesh Choudhary's off-cutter deceived Pathum Nissanka (19) and the Sri Lankan opener spooned an easy catch to Dewald Brevis. Lokesh Rahul (12) then misread Hosein's turning delivery and holed out at mid-off before Ahmad struck in his first over when Karun Nair (13) swept straight to short fine-leg inside the 30-yard circle.

Ahmad struck again in his second over when Nitish Rana (15) couldn't control his sweep shot and was caught at deep backward square before Delhi slipped further to 69-5 when Patel's below-par season with the bat continued as he spooned an easy catch to cover.

Ahmad dropped Tristan Stubbs on 2 at covers and the South African revived Delhi with 65-run partnership with impact player Sameer Rizvi, who top-scored with 40 off 24 balls with four sixes. Two of Rizvi's big hits came in the final over of Anshul Kamboj, who finished with expensive figures of 0-49 and conceded 20 runs in the last over.