Sanju Samson struck a magnificent 101 not out, carrying his bat all the way, while Akeal Hosein’s spell of 4/17 blew Chennai Super Kings to a dominant 103-run win over a struggling Mumbai Indians side in their Indian Premier League encounter in Mumbai on Thursday. The victory marked CSK’s biggest triumph over MI, and it came with the kind of all-round control that felt especially sharp given MS Dhoni was missing from the lineup.
Samson’s masterclass began with patience and then accelerated when the gaps appeared. Facing 54 balls, he struck 10 fours and eight sixes, first steadying CSK after early pressure and then taking them to a commanding 207/6. When Mumbai Indians came out to chase, their innings unraveled almost immediately—sliding to 11 for three within the opening three overs—and from there the chase never recovered as they were bowled out for 104 in 19 overs.
The atmosphere played its part too. With a vocal crowd that made the contest feel closer to Chepauk than the Wankhede Stadium, CSK delivered a clinical performance across departments. In the powerplay, where MI had been having recurring trouble across the season, they suffered their worst start yet, reaching just 29 for three after six overs following that early burst of wickets.
Danish Malewar (0) set the tone for MI’s collapse in the first over, edging a Hosein delivery that gripped and spun away, with Samson completing the catch behind the stumps. Mukesh Choudhary then struck next, dismissing Quinton de Kock (7) when the opener chopped one back onto his stumps. Hosein returned in the third over to finish Naman Dhir (0), getting the ball to straighten and hit the top of the middle stump.
Even with those early setbacks, MI still had batting depth left—Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were all still in the mix after the last game’s big scores. However, none managed to spark a genuine recovery. Tilak and Suryakumar looked more focused on rebuilding than hitting through the gears, putting together a 56-ball partnership for the fourth wicket that produced 73 runs. Yet the target only grew further away as the required rate continued to climb.
Suryakumar’s 30-ball 35, made up of five fours, was below his usual standard, and even his typical attacking shots didn’t quite land. Twice he missed his signature flick off the pads, and in between there were moments of discomfort and frustration—once after an Anshul Kamboj delivery struck him, and another when his bat slipped from his hands while trying to play a shot.
The chase finally fell apart when Tilak, who had scored 37 off 29 with five fours, played one back onto his stumps in the 12th over to become Hosein’s third victim. Shortly after, Hosein struck again as he dismissed Suryakumar; the batter’s top-edged sweep was taken safely at deep backward square leg. Noor Ahmed then delivered the decisive double-wicket over, removing an out-of-sorts Hardik Pandya (1) and Sherfane Rutherford (0), leaving Mumbai Indians stranded at 87 for seven and effectively sealing the result.
Samson’s 101 sets up CSK’s 207/6
Earlier, Samson anchored CSK during a difficult period and powered them to a competitive 207 for six. Wickets kept falling around him as a few batters struggled with shot selection and consistency, but the India wicketkeeper-batter stayed composed, paced his innings intelligently, and played each ball with intent to craft another standout knock.
Jasprit Bumrah (1/31) started with a tight opening over, though Samson still found a way to pierce the field, driving through cover-point cleanly before flicking Hardik Pandya (0/38) off the pads for a six. CSK had gotten underway with energy as well, with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (22) and Samson racing to 19 runs apiece off Pandya’s first two overs in the powerplay. Even with a couple of early dismissals, the visitors were in a strong position at 73 for two.
Gaikwad appeared to be finding his rhythm, getting going with a heave on the on-side off Pandya and then pulling for a six to take 19 from the second over. But that progress didn’t last—his promising start was cut short in the third over when he went inside-out against AM Ghazanfar (2/25) and was caught smartly by Tilak, who sprinted in from long-off.
There was also limited success for Mumbai players in the CSK camp with Sarfaraz Khan (14) and Shivam Dube (5) failing to make a meaningful impact. Dewald Brevis did offer some bursts of power, smashing 21 runs in 11 balls, but he was dismissed soon after, falling to a well-directed short delivery from Ashwani Kumar (2/37).
Samson combined caution with aggression as the innings advanced, keeping the scoreboard moving steadily. In the final over, he wrapped up his effort in style by smashing Krish Bhagat for a towering six over cover and then pulling the last ball for a four to complete his fifth IPL century.
As CSK took the field, the side wore black armbands in tribute to Choudhary’s mother, who had passed away.
