Sanju Samson Creates IPL History with Century for Third Franchise, Powers CSK to 212/2
Mumbai: Indian opener Sanju Samson etched his name in the record books on Saturday, becoming the first batter in Indian Premier League history to score centuries for three different franchises. The milestone came during his maiden hundred for Chennai Super Kings against Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
After a string of low scores, Samson roared back to form with a scintillating unbeaten 115 off 56 balls, smashing 11 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 205.36. The knock marked his fourth IPL century overall two of which came for Rajasthan Royals (2019 and 2021) and one for Delhi Capitals in 2017.
The innings also saw Samson reach another milestone, as he completed 400 sixes in T20 cricket, becoming only the fourth Indian to achieve the feat after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. He now has 401 sixes in the format.
Samson shared a crucial 113-run partnership with Ayush Mhatre, who scored a brisk 59 off 36 balls. This stand is the second-highest partnership for any wicket between CSK and DC in IPL history, behind the 141-run opening stand by Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad in 2023.
The Kerala-born batter dominated both pace and spin but was particularly aggressive against fast bowlers, scoring 84 runs off 39 balls at a strike rate of over 215. Against spin, he added 31 runs from 17 deliveries.
Earlier, DC skipper Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bowl first. Gaikwad contributed 15 runs in an opening stand of 62 with Samson, while Shivam Dube provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 20 off 10 balls.
Riding on Samson’s masterclass and solid support from Mhatre and Dube, Chennai Super Kings posted an imposing total of 212/2 in their 20 overs, setting up a strong contest against Delhi Capitals.
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