Sanju Samson’s Epic 101 Not Out: A Heart-Pounding IPL Record Shattering MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina!
Sanju Samson has etched his name in the history of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by becoming the first player from the franchise to score an Indian Premier League (IPL) century against the Mumbai Indians. Achieving this milestone on Thursday, Samson not only secured his second century for CSK but also his second of the ongoing IPL season. The five-time champions managed to set a competitive total of 207 runs for the loss of six wickets, after captain Hardik Pandya opted to field first.
Continuing his stellar form from the T20 World Cup 2026, Samson anchored the innings as wickets fell around him. While his teammates struggled to convert promising starts into significant scores, Samson showcased remarkable composure and skill. He struck the ball cleanly and effectively found gaps, helping CSK reach 73 runs for the loss of two wickets during the powerplay, with nearly half of those runs coming from his bat. He brought up his fifty in just 26 balls, hitting a boundary off Ashwani Kumar in the 11th over.
Samson’s most explosive performance came against Pandya, as he smashed 18 runs in a single over, including a sequence of four, six, four, and four. Although he faced a brief lull over the next few overs, he roared back to life in the final over against rookie bowler Krish Bhagat. With two sixes and a four, Samson celebrated reaching his hundred on the very last ball, finishing with an impressive tally of 101 runs off just 54 balls, including ten fours and six sixes.
This exceptional performance also placed Samson among elite company in the record books, marking him as only the fourth player to score two centuries for CSK in the IPL, joining the ranks of Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Notably, he became the first CSK batter to achieve a century against the Mumbai Indians, a feat that even legends like MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina couldn’t accomplish.
Prior to Samson’s century, the highest individual score by a CSK player against MI was 88 not out, set by current captain Ruturaj Gaikwad during a match in Dubai in 2021. Additionally, Samson is the second player, alongside Watson in 2018, to achieve two hundreds for CSK in a single IPL season. Watson is currently serving as the batting coach for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Samson’s hundred places him level with KL Rahul for the most IPL centuries, each having five. The top three in the all-time list remain Virat Kohli (eight), Jos Buttler (seven), and Chris Gayle (six). Samson’s achievement further ties him with Rohit Sharma for the eighth-most T20 hundreds among Indian players, trailing Kohli and Abhishek Sharma, who lead with nine each.
Historically, only Rohit Sharma and Sanath Jayasuriya-while playing for the Mumbai Indians-had previously scored centuries in matches between MI and CSK, according to CricViz research. Notably, all three centuries in this rivalry have come at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
For live updates on IPL 2026, including the complete schedule and points table, be sure to stay tuned as the drama of the season unfolds.
Original Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/a-101-not-out-to-remember-sanju-samson-outshines-ms-dhoni-suresh-raina-co-for-huge-ipl-record-during-mi-vs-csk-11776959273209.html
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Publish Date: 2026-04-23 21:57:00
