That slow pitch at Wankhede, Sanju Samson didn’t mind one bit. His fifth IPL century sparked life when it was needed most. Chennai Super Kings piled on runs, then watched Mumbai Indians collapse far short. A loss by 103 runs, Mumbai’s worst in IPL history, followed. Thursday’s match slipped away fast once the innings passed fifty. Not even home advantage helped. The chase faded before halfway. Bowling changes came too late. Field settings looked more puzzled than planned. Each overdrained hope further. By sunset, only dust and disappointment remained.

Out of nowhere, after shining bright for India in the T20 World Cup with three back-to-back fifty stands, Sanju Samson stumbled at the beginning of his time with CSK, tallying under ten runs on three separate occasions. Then came a shift, not loud, but clear, when he struck 115 not out against the Delhi Capitals. That knock wasn’t alone; soon after arrived another unbeaten hundred, making it two centuries within just four turns at bat.

“The game tells you what to do”: Sanju Samson on adapting to conditions

After the game ended, Sanju Samson pointed out how crucial it is to adapt instead of following a set plan. Not like most matches at Wankhede, he said, this surface held onto the ball tightly. That grip turned clean hitting into something much harder work.

With wickets falling fast, having someone steady to see it through turned crucial. His aim was to read how things unfolded while guiding the innings home, not rushing attacks at the start.

Also Read: Sanju Samson rewrites record books with stunning century in IPL 2026

Ruturaj Gaikwad handed the win to Mukesh Choudhary, whose mom had just passed away, but still came back to play. Wearing black bands, each player stood beside him without saying much.

“Hats off to him for coming back in such a situation. It takes immense mental strength,” Gaikwad said, praising the pacer’s commitment to the team.

Chasing down 208, the Mumbai Indians fell apart fast under pressure. Hardik Pandya's side had no answer once wickets began tumbling. Just two batters passed twenty, Tilak Varma made 37, and Suryakumar added 35. The rest faltered badly, exposing deep batting issues.

Hardik Pandya said the top-order collapse during the power play messed up their run pursuit. Maybe, he suggested, the team setup could look different next time out.

“We need to regroup and figure out what works best. Losing wickets early always puts you on the back foot, and we couldn’t recover from that,” he said, while also acknowledging Samson’s match-winning knock and CSK’s disciplined batting effort.