Sanju Samson held the innings together really well and showed his class. With wickets falling around him, the keeper-batter Sanju Samson held his nerves and carried his bat to score his 5th IPL ton and 2nd in CSK colours to help CSK post a competitive 207/6 in 20 overs. For MI, Allah Ghazanfar was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/25 in 4 overs, while Ashwani Kumar chipped in with a couple of wickets as well. MI has the star-studded batting to hunt this down with ease.
CSK gets off to a rollicking start in power play courtesy of Sanju Samson
Put into bat first, keeper batter Sanju Samson and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad came out to open for CSK while Jasprit Bumrah had the ball in hand for MI. Bumrah hit Gaikwad on the helmet before Samson gloriously drove him through covers and point for a boundary as Bumrah overstepped as well. But the free hit yielded a dot ball.
Captain Hardik Pandya came onto bowl from the other end. Gaikwad got into the act and heaved it away to deep midwicket for a boundary, and he overstepped as well. The free hit resulted in a wide, and the following ball went for a streaky boundary with an outside edge down to the short third man fence. Gaikwad took on Hardik and helped it on its way over deep fine leg for the maximum.
Allah Ghazanfar came into the attack next. Gaikwad was on the move as he used his wrists to whip it away to the left of mid-on for a boundary. Ghazanfar had the last laugh as he removed the out-of-form skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for 22 off 14 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name as Gaikwad tried to go down the ground and did not time it, and the miscue went to Tilak Varma towards long-on, who made no mistake. Sarfaraz Khan came out to bat next.
Hardik Pandya continued as Samson went for the pull and gloved it past the keeper for a boundary. Samson went big again as he hung back and flicked it away over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Samson went big again as he steered the ball towards the third man fence for a boundary. Samson hit him again and guided it past the backward point and short third man for a boundary.
Bumrah came back into the attack as Sarfaraz welcomed him back by going down the ground over mid-off for a boundary to get off the mark. Samson took the attack to Bumrah as he swivelled and pulled over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Mitchell Santner came into the attack to bowl the last over of power play. Sarfaraz welcomed him with a boundary by going down on one knee and sweeping it in front of the square on the leg side. Sarfaraz pulled him away by going deep in his crease and pulled it over midwicket for a boundary.
Santner had the last laugh as he dismissed Sarfaraz for 14 off 8 balls with 3 fours to his name by knocking him over. The batter went to slog sweep and missed the straighter ball onto the stumps. Shivam Dube came out to bat next and got off the mark with a single. At the end of the power play overs, CSK were 73/2 with Samson unbeaten on 31 off 15 balls alongside Dube unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball.
MI chips away at the wickets while Sanju Samson keeps CSK in the contest
The Strategic Time Out was taken post the power play. Allah Ghazanfar came back into the attack post the power play. Samson took on Ghazanfar and pulled it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Ashwani Kumar came into the attack next. Samson punished him with a flick towards short fine leg for a boundary. Ghazanfar continued, and he struck for MI by knocking over Dube for 5 off 8 balls, who never got going. Dewald Brevis came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon.
Mitchell Santner came back into the attack as Brevis took him on by getting underneath it and thumping it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. The 100 came up for CSK in 9.1 overs. Brevis took on Santner and clubbed it over wide long-off for the maximum. At the end of 10 overs. CSK were 111/3 and well-placed to get to 200 from here. Ashwani came back into the attack. Samson brought up his fifty off 26 balls as he sliced it away past backward point for a boundary. Brevis hit Ashwani for a boundary with a pull past deep backward square leg.
Ashwani had the last laugh as he dismissed Brevis for 21 off 11 balls with one four and 2 sixes to his name as he played the upper cut straight to Bumrah at deep third man. Kartik Sharma came out to bat next. Santner continued and bowled a rather quiet over. Ashwani continued and bowled a tight over as well. CSK reached 131/4 in 13 overs when we paused for the second Strategic Time Out of the match.
Mitchell Santner came to bowl his final over as Kartik broke the shackles by using his feet and pumped it over wide long-off for the maximum. A few balls later, Kartik went big again as he clubbed it away over deep extra cover for the maximum. Allah Ghazanfar came to bowl his final over. He bowled a decent last over to finish with 2/25 in 4 overs. After 15 overs, CSK were 149/4 with Samson unbeaten on 62 off 36 balls and Kartik Sharma unbeaten on 18 off 15 balls.
Sanju Samson’s unbeaten ton takes CSK past 200
Krish Bhagat came into the attack next. Samson hit him by standing and delivering with an angled bat that went over wide long-on for the maximum. The 150 came up for CSK in 15.2 overs. Samson then sliced it away between the backward point and the short third man for a boundary. Samson was on the move as he stood tall and swivelled across the line and hit it through short fine leg for a boundary. Bumrah returned to the attack. He got rid of Kartik Sharma for 18 off 19 balls with 2 sixes to his name as Santner took a good catch in the deep before injuring his shoulder.
Jamie Overton came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Ashwani Kumar came to bowl the 18th over as Overton reached for it and threw his hands and guided it past short third man and backward point for a boundary. Overton was on the charge as he played an uppish extra cover drive for a boundary. Overton took on Ashwani and cleared the front leg and launched it straight as an arrow for the maximum. Ashwani had his revenge as he dismissed Overton for 15 off 7 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name, with Naman Dhir taking an excellent catch. Impact Player Akeal Hosein came out to bat next.
Bumrah came to bowl the 19th over. Bumrah overstepped before Samson hit the free hit away by ramping it over short fine leg for a boundary. Krish Bhagat came to bowl the final over of the innings. Sanju took him on by swivelling across the line and a strong hit over deep midwicket for the maximum. Samson went big again as he lofted the ball over extra cover for the maximum as the 200 came up for CSK in 19.4 overs. Samson finished things off in style with a boundary off the final ball of the innings as the pull shot went to the deep fine leg and deep midwicket region.
Samson got to his hundred off 54 balls and carried his bat. This was his second ton in CSK colours. Samson remained unbeaten on 101 off 54 balls with 10 fours and 6 sixes to his name, while Hosein was unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls. 9 extras given by MI bowlers as CSK finished with a competitive 207/6 in 20 overs.
Allah Ghazanfar was the pick of the bowlers for MI, finishing with 2/25 in 4 overs. Ashwani Kumar finished with 2/37 in 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. Mitchell Santner finished with 1/44 in 4 overs. Hardik Pandya’s 2 overs went for 38 runs while Krish Bhagar bowled 2 overs for 31 runs. MI now needs 208 runs to win this match and keep their great record against CSK intact.
Who’s Winning, MI or CSK?Â
CSK have got the runs on the board. 207 is a decent score on a flat deck. But we feel they are 10-20 short on this surface. MI has the batting to hunt this down against a weak CSK bowling attack. This is a good score, but not quite enough. MI should chase this down with ease. CSK needs to take early wickets to hurt MI and put them under pressure. Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
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