Sanju Samson stood up and made everyone notice as he dazzled under the lights in Chennai. Short of runs, in the first three games, Sanju Samson played delightful shots and carried his bat for his sparkling hundred, even as captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was playing Test cricket. Ayush Mhatre scored a solid half-century while Shivam Dube gave the finishing kick as CSK finished with a solid but below-par 212/2 in 20 overs. DC bowled decently in tough bowling conditions.
Sanju Samson gives CSK a blazing start in the power play.Â
Put into bat first, keeper batter Sanju Samson and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad came out to open the batting for CSK while debutant Auqib Nabi had the ball in hand for DC. Samson started with a bang with an exquisite drive past cover as Tristan Stubbs did well in the deep to keep it to a triple. Samson soon hit the first boundary of the contest as he threw his hands at it and got it off the outer half of the bat to deep point for a boundary.
Mukesh Kumar came into the attack next from the other end. Samson broke the shackles as he first glanced the pall past deep fine leg for a boundary and then drove it on the up past Kuldeep Yadav at mid-on for a boundary. Nabi continued as Samson picked the length early and flat-batted it over mid-on for a boundary.
Captain Axar Patel came into the attack next, and Gaikwad finally broke the shackles as he made room on the leg side and chipped it away over Nissanka at point for a boundary. Samson was dealing in boundaries as he made room on the leg side and lofted it over extra covers for a boundary. Samson was not done yet as he made room and went inside out over covers for a boundary.
T Natarajan came into the attack next. Samson took him on again as he stayed leg side of the ball and lofted it with a straight bat over mid-off for a boundary. Lungi Ngidi now came into the attack to bowl the last over of the powerplay. The 50 came up for CSK in 5.1 overs. Samson took advantage of a poor ball from Ngidi as he picked the length early and cut it hard to deep backward point for a boundary. Samson then used deft touch as he played it late and opened the bat face to steer it between the keeper and short third man for a boundary.
After 6 overs of powerplay, CSK were 61/0 with Sanju Samson unbeaten on 45 off 19 balls alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad playing a sedate innings of 15* off 17 balls. Good from CSK, but too slow from the captain as we approach the middle phase of the game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad falls, but Sanju Samson & Ayush Mhatre drive CSK forward in the middle phase of the game.Â
Axar Patel came back into the attack post the powerplay, and he got rid of his opposite number Ruturaj Gaikwad, for 15 off 18 balls with one four to his name as the arm ball drifting in was pulled by the captain straight to deep midwicket,  where Nissanka took the catch easily. Ayush Mhatre came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack for the first time next. Mhatre broke the shackles as he swatted the ball through deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary. Mukesh came back into the attack as Sanju completed his half-century in 26 balls. Mukesh bowled a good over and overturned the on-field call of a wide as well. CSK were 77/1 when we paused for the first Strategic Time Out of the match.
Axar changed ends as Mhatre survived a run-out chance with both batters almost at the same end. But a fumble from the keeper, KL Rahul, allowed the batter to get back home. Then came the big moment in the game. Sanju Samson was batting on 52, and the score for CSK was 78/1 in 9.2 overs when Pathum Nissanka from long-off came in and dived forward but failed to hold onto the catch as the keeper batter got a big lifeline. The ball too went away for a boundary. Samson then backed away and slammed it to long-on for a boundary. CSK were 88/1 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game.
Natarajan returned to the attack as Mhatre thrashed it away and was able to thump it away to the backward point region for a boundary. Sanju took on Natarajan and whacked it away hard with a smash over cow corner for the maximum. The 100 came up for CSK in 10.4 overs. Kuldeep came back into the attack next. Mhatre broke the shackles and took on Kuldeep as the batter unleashed a big swing of the bat and launched it over Miller’s head at long-on for the maximum. Mhatre was then put down off his own bowling by Kuldeep on his follow-through as he was late to react.
The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Samson took on Kuldeep as the ball was hurled on a length outside the off-stump, as the batter stood firm and got underneath it and smacked it over extra cover for the maximum inside-out shot. Ngidi is back into the attack. Mhatre threw his bat at it without moving his feet, and the ball went away to the deep third man fence. Mhatre was not done yet as he smacked this away by sending it flying over the straight boundary. It was the 300th shot of the tournament. CSK reached 130/1 in 13 overs when we paused for another Strategic Time Out.
Axar Patel came back into the attack post the break as Mhatre slog swept it away to hammer it away over wide long-on for the maximum. Natarajan came back to bowl the 15th over of the innings. Mhatre welcomed him back with maximum with a swivel across to clear midwicket for the maximum. Mhatre reached his fifty in 27 balls. Samson came back on strike and swatted it away over midwicket for the maximum. Samson smashed the ball again over point with an open bat face for a boundary.
At the end of 15 overs, CSK were 160/1 with Samson unbeaten on 90 off 43 balls and Mhatre unbeaten on 53 off 29 balls. The Big 5 overs were ahead of us to see where CSK end up.
Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten century powers CSK to 212/2 in 2o overs.Â
Mukesh Kumar came back into the attack as the 100-run stand came up between Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre. Mhatre then miscued the ball straight to long-on, where David Miller dropped the catch. Samson on the front foot slashed it away as he carved it away between Kuldeep at backward point and Natarajan at short third man as the ball got the gap for a boundary. Ngidi came to bowl the 17th over and bowled a good over.
Natarajan continued, and after the first three balls of the over, Ayush Mhatre retired out for 59. Shivam Dube came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Then the hundred moment came up for Sanju Samson as he closed the bat face and got a leading edge that went away to the third man fence. His fourth IPL ton and his first for CSK. Samson played the ramp shot and got it over the short third man for a boundary.
Ngidi came to bowl the 19th over as Dube got his first boundary away with a whack across the line to the vacant backward square leg region for a boundary. Samson then got into the act as he spanked it high and handsome over long-on for the maximum. Mukesh Kumar came to bowl the last over for DC. Dube started the over with a swing down the ground for the maximum as the 200 came up for CSK in 19.1 overs. The third 200+ score for CSK this season. Dube then muscled the ball down the ground for a boundary.
CSK ended with a competitive but what feels like a below-par 212/2 in 20 overs. Samson remained unbeaten and carried his bat for his 115 off 56 balls with 15 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Shivam Dube remained unbeaten on 20 off 10 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name. Mhatre made 59 off 36 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes to his name as well. 3 extras given by the fielding side.
Axar Patel got the only wicket to fall and finished with 1/39 in 4 overs. The other was a retirement dismissal. Aquib Nabi finished with 0/17 in 2 overs. Mukesh Kumar finished with 0/37 in 4 overs. T Natarajan gave away 54 runs in 4 overs. Lungi Ngidi finished with 0/41 in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 0/24 in 2 overs. This means that DC’s target is 213 runs off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, CSK or DC?Â
CSK have got runs on the board. 200+ is a good score, but the pitch is flat. CSK’s bowling is the weak link, and DC have a long batting line-up. This match can go either way, but DC will feel they can chase this despite the heroics of Sanju Samson. Can CSK finally get their first win this season? They have to bowl out of their skins. A fascinating chase awaits us all.
Also Read:Â CSK vs DC: Winless CSK Take On Dynamic DC