Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with a second hundred of the season. And Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell sealed the deal as the most sought-after IPL clash turned into a cakewalk for the visitors.
Samson’s fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) hundred, coupled with Hosein producing arguably the spell of the season, left Mumbai Indians (MI) on the mat as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cruised to a one-sided win.
After posting 207 for six, CSK bundled MI out for 104 in 19 overs with little fuss, the chase never quite taking off.
Hosein, drafted in for his new-ball utility, struck immediately. His first over saw impact sub counterpart Danish Malewar edge behind.
Soon after, Quinton de Kock played on off Mukesh Choudhary — the pacer gesturing to the heavens in tribute to his mother, who passed away earlier in the week. In his next over, Hosein spun one in from leg stump to breach Naman Dhir’s defence. At 11 for three, MI was already on the ropes.
The Wankhede, packed and loud, found itself outnumbered and outvoiced by a sea of yellow. The onus fell on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, but Hosein returned to break that resistance, sneaking one through Tilak’s defence.
Alongside Noor Ahmad, he triggered a collapse — four wickets for three runs in eight balls — as MI slipped from 84 for three to 87 for seven. Shardul Thakur, on as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, merely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Samson had ensured that CSK had a cushion to defend. Anchoring the innings, he allowed the others to attack. Ruturaj Gaikwad started briskly before falling to A.M. Ghazanfar, while Shivam Dube struggled for timing. The rest of the top order maintained strike rates north of 150.
Samson, watchful early, opened up with precision later. On 85 at the start of the final over, he muscled one over deep midwicket off Krish Bhagat, then, after two dots, carved a wide ball over covers.
Farming strike, he finished with a pull over square leg for a one-bounce four — a flourish that helped him celebrate the milestone in style and set up a dominant night.
Published on Apr 24, 2026