IPL 2026: CSK’s Samson lights up Wankhede with 54-ball ton

Chennai Super Kings opener Sanju Samson celebrates his century against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on Thursday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Sanju Samson, who scored an unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals in Chennai recently, smashed his second century of IPL-19 with an unbeaten 101 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Samson's 54-ball ton helped CSK post 207-6 in the allotted 20 overs.

Put into bat, CSK lost two wickets in the Powerplay, but Samson never looked in a hurry to score quickly. Whenever there was a good ball, he showed respect opted for a single. However, his ability to read the trajectory of the ball early gave him enough time to pull and hook comfortably.

Samson began with a front-foot drive, placing a Jasprit Bumrah (1-31) good-length delivery between cover and point for four in the very first over. He then read Bumrah's slower short delivery perfectly and dispatched it over the deep fine leg fence for six. Samson brought up his 50 off just 26 balls, guiding left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar's (2-37) low full toss for four through backward point. The India wicketkeeper-batter struck 10 fours and six sixes during his unbeaten knock. He ensured he finished things off in style, getting to his century off the last ball of the innings with a stylish four through mid-wicket off pacer Krish Bhagat.

The CSK players sported black armbands as a mark of respect following the passing of pacer Mukesh Choudhary's mother on Tuesday.

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No. of 200-plus totals for CSK in IPL - the most by any team