IPL 2026: Samson's Unbeaten Century Powers CSK to Historic 103-Run Win Over MI

Sanju Samson struck a brilliant unbeaten 101 as Chennai Super Kings crushed Mumbai Indians by 103 runs in an IPL encounter between two five-time champions at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

It was a victory that carried deep emotion, dedicated to CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary, who lost his mother, Prem Devi, to a year-long illness on Tuesday.

Samson, fresh from his heroics at the T20 World Cup, smashed his fifth IPL century and his second for CSK in just four innings, powering the visitors to 207/6 after Mumbai Indians opted to bowl.

In reply, MI capitulated to 104 all out in 19 overs, suffering their biggest-ever defeat in the IPL.

CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad made no secret of the emotional weight of the victory.

"Pretty tough on him (Mukesh Choudhary), I would dedicate this win to him. All glory to him. Everyone chipped and wanted to be there for him," said Gaikwad after the match.

Reflecting on the innings, the CSK captain revealed he had backed his instincts at the toss.

Gaikwad also credited the team's collective effort and composure.

"We have been doing well, it's just starting to click. We are trying to cover all the bases. Mukesh to Quinton, that set the momentum. He started off really well. It's a blessing to have Akeal and Noor. Everyone is settling. Everyone is calm and composed. We start from zero, it's about assessing," he added.

Was Akeal Hossain's 4/17 the turning point in CSK's crushing win over MI?

West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hossain was the pick of the CSK bowlers, claiming 4/17 in his third match of the season.

He credited the conditions and a piece of advice from former CSK stalwart Dwayne Bravo for his confidence with the new ball.

"The wicket was offering both, some were swinging and it was gripping as well. So for me, it was just trying to use the conditions as best as possible," said Hossain.

On the subject of bowling in the powerplay, Hossain elaborated, "I think one thing that sticks with me is what Dwayne Bravo said."

"He said as bowlers and as spinners and guys who operate in the powerplay, you're going to get hit. So as long as you can get that out of your mind and just focus on your plans and what are the batter's strengths and weaknesses, and what are your strengths and weaknesses, and as long as you focus on what you're going to execute and forget about being scared of getting hit, I think you're fine," Hossain added.

Did MI's early powerplay wicket cost them the match against CSK?

For Mumbai Indians, the chasing never truly got off the ground.

Tilak Varma (37) and Suryakumar Yadav (35) were the only batters to manage double-digit scores as MI crumbled in front of their home fans, falling far short of a total that always looked well beyond them.

MI captain Hardik Pandya acknowledged that the early loss of a wicket in the powerplay put his side on the back foot from the outset.

"I think that in the powerplay, losing that early wicket is always going to be tricky. You are always chasing the game and we could not cope up after that," he said.

Pandya had praise for Samson's knock, even as he accepted his team's shortcomings.

"I think even our spinners bowled pretty well. It's just that Sanju played an outstanding knock. At the same point of time, their batters kept coming and kind of chipping in and got them to a decent total," he said.

The MI skipper conceded the asking rate was always going to be a stretch.

"I think it was a more than a decent total on that track. For us to chase this down, we needed to have a good powerplay and the momentum had to be with us, but that could not happen," Pandya said.