Why the 101 not out against MI is one of Sanju Samson’s finest hundreds

If the innings against England was about fearless aggression, then the knock against MI was a blend of caution and calculated attack. His unbeaten 101 runs in 54 balls on Thursday may have had 10 fours and six sixes, but it also had 25 singles as he had to navigate his stay in the middle, with wickets falling at the other end.

Sanju Samson of Chennai Super Kings celebrates after scoring a hundred during Match 33 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026. (Photo by Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for IPL)

The maximums were trademark Samson hits on the leg-side. The MI bowlers mixed their lengths, digging the ball short more than once. Samson was up to the test, bringing the pull shot out to send the balls sailing over the square leg and mid-wicket boundaries. If the sixes came on the on-side, then the majority of the fours were spread across the off-side, thereby ensuring that the bowlers could never stick to one line of attack.

Yet, what truly defined the innings was his game awareness. A flat pitch and short boundaries may have tempted Samson to go after the bowling. Instead, he prioritised strike rotation, keeping the scoreboard moving even during testing phases.

He reached his fifty in the 11th over with a four past third man, but his job to ensure that CSK reached a respectable score had only started. He finally found a stable partner in Kartik Sharma, and their 43-run stand in 35 balls was crucial in halting a mid-innings wobble. Sharma’s dismissal had no bearing on Samson, who carried his bat through the innings.

Fittingly, he reached his century off the final ball of the innings, a boundary to deep square leg that also propelled his team a few runs past the 200-run mark. Having fallen short of a hundred in that memorable semifinal, Samson made sure there were no such regrets this time – delivering an innings of both substance and style.

Hosein’s PP impact

The powerplay phase in IPL 2026 has been a period of acceleration for teams as batsmen have looked to make the most of the hard new ball and the field restrictions. In such circumstances, Akeal Hosein produced arguably the best spell by a spinner in the first six overs this season.

With 207 runs in the bank, the West Indian, brought in as an impact player, made an immediate impact, dismissing Danish Malewar and Naman Dhir inside the first three overs to leave the hosts in early trouble in the chase.

The turn on offer helped Hosein pick both the wickets, proving to be an inspired choice to start with a spinner in the powerplay. It meant that the out-of-form MI middle-order had to manage a crisis and not build on a foundation in the chase.

Surya’s middling knock

A crisis can often be the truest test of a cricketer’s class and character. Suryakumar Yadav came into Thursday’s match still searching for a defining innings this season. Chasing 208 runs with his side reeling gave him the chance to play that knock, which could have stamped his authority in IPL 2026.

Surya had a long batting stint a day before the game to try to iron out the flaws that had crept into his game. Yet, his 36 off 30 balls was an innings that was a bit betwixt and between. He began with two boundaries in his first four balls, but lost steam post that brisk start.

Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians plays a shot during Match 33 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026. (Photo by Deepak Malik / CREIMAS for IPL)

It did not help his cause that his twin attempts to play his favoured swat over the on-side left him with bruises near his ribs, which meant he needed to look at other avenues to score runs.

With the required rate escalating, the right-hander did manage to find the boundaries, but not at the consistency which his team was looking for. He and Tilak Varma tried to resurrect the innings, but against a disciplined attack and on a pitch offering turn, the much-needed acceleration never came.

The pressure eventually caught up with him, and he fell in pursuit of increasing the scoring rate for 36. It was a knock which showed him returning to form, but lacked the spark that MI needed to stay in the chase.

Brief Scores: CSK 207/6 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 101, Allah Ghazanfar 2/25) beat MI 104 all out in 19 overs (Tilak Varma 37; Akeal Hosein 4/17, Noor Ahmed 2/24) by 103 runs.