Chennai Super Kings batter Sanju Samson struck again as he carried his impressive IPL 2026 form into the clash against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. The right-hander looked in control with the same uncomplicated plan—track the ball early, wait for the right moment, and then punish anything offered in his arc.
Key takeaways
- Sanju Samson continued his fine run of form in CSK vs GT at Chepauk.
- He reached the 5,000-run milestone in the IPL during the chase-related innings against Gujarat Titans.
- Samson became one of the quicker batters in IPL history to compile 5,000 runs, moving past several established names.
- Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first.
- Both sides made one notable playing-XI change ahead of the contest, with GT bringing in Arshad Khan and CSK including Urvil Patel.
Samson’s milestone at Chepauk
Samson started cautiously, negotiating the first over from Mohammed Siraj for just a single run. He then shifted gears immediately in the following over, taking on Gujarat Titans’ pace leader Kagiso Rabada and finding a clean boundary off the bowler.
That shot helped him move into the 5,000-run bracket in the Indian Premier League. The landmark mattered not only for what it represents, but also for how fast he arrived there, placing him among the quickest batters in IPL history to reach 5,000.
His rise has been rapid, and the timing of the milestone underlines the rhythm he has developed across seasons. The fastest route to 5,000 IPL runs, with balls faced, reads as follows: AB de Villiers (3288), David Warner (3554), S Samson (3620), S Raina (3688), KL Rahul (3691), and MS Dhoni (AB de Villiers listed again at the top of the chart), highlighting how Samson has joined an elite group with efficient scoring.
IPL’s top 5,000-run pace and broader batting context
The record also puts Samson ahead of several big names often associated with long IPL careers. In terms of balls faced to the 5,000 mark, Samson’s 3620 places him past Suresh Raina (3620 balls shown for the group listing), KL Rahul (3688), and MS Dhoni (3691), reinforcing the idea that he is not just accumulating runs, but doing so with strong strike-rate momentum.
For broader batting comparisons, the source also highlighted the “most runs in Indian Premier League” list, showing a snapshot of leading totals and strike-rate figures. Virat Kohli is listed at 50th with 274 matches, while Rohit Sharma is shown with 276 matches, Shikhar Dhawan with 222 matches, and David Warner with 184 matches. The list continues with KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane, AB de Villiers, and then Sanju Samson at the end of the batting table provided.
Within that same set of numbers, Sanju Samson is shown with 185 matches, 5008 runs, a highest score of 81* and a strike rate of 140.59, as presented in the table. Chris Gayle appears in the list as well with 142 matches and 4965 runs, underscoring the breadth of batting data referenced alongside Samson’s milestone.
Toss, points position and team changes
On the match day, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first, aiming to make the most of early conditions. Entering the game, GT were seventh in the points table, having collected six points from three wins in seven matches. CSK were in fifth place with the same points total, but they held the advantage of a better net run rate.
For this mid-table encounter, both franchises made a change to their playing group. Gujarat Titans included Arshad Khan to add depth to their bowling options. Chennai Super Kings, meanwhile, brought in Urvil Patel into the playing XI, looking to enhance the balance of their squad.
Playing XIs
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh.
The focus now shifts to how Samson builds on his milestone momentum as CSK continues its campaign, with fans tracking the live score, match updates, and the ongoing race for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap throughout the IPL season.
