Chennai Super Kings delivered one of their most dominant performances in IPL history, defeating Mumbai Indians by 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, powered by a fluent century from Sanju Samson and a clinical bowling effort led by Akeal Hosein.
Batting first after MI opted to bowl, CSK posted a commanding 207/6, with Samson anchoring the innings with a 101 off 54 balls. His knock, laced with 10 fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 187.04, marked his fifth IPL century, placing him joint fourth on the all-time list alongside KL Rahul, behind Virat Kohli (8), Jos Buttler (7) and Chris Gayle (6). It was also the first century by a CSK batter against MI in IPL history.
© instagram.com/mumbaiindiansCSK’s innings began aggressively, with Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad racing to 73 in the powerplay, the team’s second-highest against MI. Despite losing Gaikwad early for 22, the scoring momentum continued as Samson and Sarfaraz Khan counterattacked. Contributions from Dewald Brevis (21) and late hits ensured CSK crossed the 200-run mark.
For MI, Jasprit Bumrah stood out with disciplined bowling, finishing with 1/31, including a tight 19th over. However, the rest of the attack struggled to contain CSK’s scoring.
Chasing 208, MI’s innings collapsed early. Akeal Hosein struck in the opening over, removing Danish Malewar for a duck, while Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Quinton de Kock soon after. Hosein continued his dominance, finishing with figures of 4/17, as MI slipped to 11/3 within three overs.
© instagram.com/chennaiiplA brief recovery led by Tilak Varma (37) and Suryakumar Yadav (36) took MI to 78/3 at the halfway mark, but the innings unraveled quickly. Noor Ahmad’s double strike, including the wicket of captain Hardik Pandya, and further breakthroughs ensured MI were bundled out for just 104.
The total marked MI’s lowest score against CSK in IPL history and their heaviest defeat by runs overall. For CSK, it was their biggest win by runs, surpassing their previous 97-run victory in 2015.
Speaking after the match, Samson said:
“Feels great to score a century in Wankhede vs MI. I am just looking at the conditions. The ball was swinging around and holding a bit. After the power play, we kept losing wickets. I thought it’s important for a settled batsman to bat through. The game tells you what to do. You don’t have to be premeditating. With the experience I have, the team comes first.”
He added:
“It is my responsibility to understand the game. It’s a young team, but the attitude we’ve shown after three losses is commendable. Every game is important; we need to be ready and enjoy.”
Reflecting on the atmosphere, Samson said:
“It’s all new for me, so much yellow in Wankhede.”
With this result, CSK climbed to fifth in the IPL 2026 standings and continued their dominance over MI, winning five of their last six encounters since 2023.
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