Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener ran riot with the bat in the high-stakes IPL 2026 clash against (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sanju Samson cracks historic ton against MI
While his teammates found it difficult to accelerate, Samson took the responsibility on his shoulders, dominating the bowling attack to smash a historic century, which came off in just 54 balls. He reached the milestone in style on the final delivery of the innings, pulling a boundary off Krish Bhagat to remain unbeaten on 101, which helped Chennai post a formidable total of 207.
Sanju Samson’s masterclass powers CSK to 207-run total
After a somewhat slow start to the IPL 2026 season following his participation in the T20 World Cup, he has found his rhythm at the perfect time. This innings marks his second century in his last four matches, following a blistering knock against the Delhi Capitals just a couple of weeks ago, proving that he is currently in scintillating touch.
CSK’s middle order batting woes
The top and middle order failed to capitalize on starts, leaving the innings disjointed. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad showed flashes of form but departed for just 22 runs, which ironically stood as the team’s second-highest individual score of the night. With Ayush Mhatre sidelined, Sarfaraz Khan was promoted to number three but only contributed 14 runs, while Shivam Dube struggled to find his rhythm, managing just five. Dewald Brevis also looked comfortable at the crease for a time before falling for 21. Ultimately, the immense pressure to perform fell entirely on Samson; while he delivered a spectacular knock, the team likely feels they left at least 15 runs on the field due to the lack of substantial contributions from the rest of the batting unit.