Sanju Samson again made a strong case for Chennai Super Kings’ decision to trade for him from Rajasthan Royals. On Thursday, the CSK opener delivered a statement innings versus Mumbai Indians, remaining unbeaten on 101 off 54 balls as his team cruised to 207/6 in their 20-over chase. The move came after last season’s reshuffle, when Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran switched to RR, paving the way for Samson’s arrival at CSK.
It was Samson’s second century of the campaign, following his unbeaten 115 off 56 against Delhi Capitals. Even so, his season has drawn criticism at times because of uneven returns. Against MI at the Wankhede Stadium, however, he looked fully in control—smashing 10 fours and clearing the ropes for six sixes. His strike rate read 184.04, and he completed his hundred on the final ball of the innings with another maximum.
Samson’s knock sparked plenty of reaction from supporters and former cricketers alike, with many taking to X to praise the India batter. Mohammad Kaif wrote, “Sanju Samson is a world class batter.. So elegant so pleasing to the eyes.” Aakash Chopra added, “No player has scored more than 2 centuries for CSK… This is Sanju’s first season and that’s only half done. He’s already got two. Stylish Samson.” Irfan Pathan went with a simple message of form, saying, “Playing at the peak looks like the way Sanju Samson is batting. Playing at the peak = Sanju Samson batting!” Shikhar Dhawan also praised the way he paced his innings, writing, “That was a very composed knock @IamSanjuSamson paced it beautifully and made it count. Deserving hundred”.
Samson’s turnaround has been notable, considering he endured a difficult start to the season, scoring just 22 runs across his first three appearances. His unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals seemed to reset his campaign, and he followed that with a 48 against Kolkata Knight Riders. More than a week later, he stamped his authority again by hitting his ton against Mumbai Indians—marking the first time in his IPL career that he has produced two hundreds in a single season.
Against MI, Samson took the pace bowlers head-on, scoring 83 from 40 balls while maintaining a strike rate of 207.5. He struck 10 fours and sent five deliveries over the boundary against the pacers. When the attack shifted to spin, he still kept the pressure high, collecting 18 off 14 balls at a strike rate of 128.6 and also finding the maximum during that spell.
