Good morning,
What do you do when Jasprit Bumrah spears in a flat, fiery full toss at leg stump? Most miss. Some squeeze a leg-bye. Last night, Sanju Samson shuffled across (yes, he was seeing it like a football) and scooped it towards fine leg. Nearly a six. MI vs CSK was anything but that close.
@B0$
@L0$ in a one-sided match at Wankhede
Sanju Samson scored a 54-ball hundred, his second this season and the first by a CSK batter against MI in the IPL
CSK's 207/6 looked even bigger when Akeal Hosein picked 4 for 17, including two @L1$
Only two MI batters reached double digits as the hosts were bowled out for 104
It was MI's third straight defeat at Wankhede, their first such run, and their biggest home loss by runs
@B1$
While taking a low, diving catch, Mitchell Santner appeared to hurt his left (bowling) shoulder, which he pointed out while walking off. He was eventually subbed out for a concussion, with Shardul Thakur coming in, cueing the usual MI-CSK brouhaha!
@B2$
The @B3$ goes to MI-CSK, for quietly retiring the "classic" part, with CSK winning five of the last six.
The @B4$ goes to Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad, for turning celebrations into a game of hide-and-seek, same prop, different angles.
@B5$
Akeal Hosein's inclusion as an extra bowling option proved decisive as CSK dismantled MI, with the left-arm spinner delivering a rare Powerplay wicket-maiden, only the third by a spinner in the IPL since 2020, to set up MI's biggest-ever defeat. His @L2$: since 2023, 51.9% of his overs have come in the Powerplay, where he has taken 74 wickets, the most among spinners (next best 55). Across T20s, he has bowled the first over in 139 of 260 innings, highlighting his new-ball expertise. With CSK conceding 10.27 in the Powerplay before this, his early impact strengthens the case for a regular spot.
@B6$
Akeal Hosein, who revealed he was "trying to pick the brains of the coaches and players on red soil, black soil pitches", also recalled a Powerplay tip from Dwayne Bravo: "If you're going to get hit, at least get hit to the two fielders you have outside protecting the boundaries."
Hardik Pandya felt Sanju played an "outstanding knock" and said he is "not someone who'd like to say" whether the pitch changed. He added that "losing a wicket in the Powerplay" left them "chasing" the game and that there "will be chat" around possible personnel changes.
Ruturaj Gaikwad dedicated the win to Mukesh Choudhary, who lost his mother but still turned up to perform. The CSK captain, despite losing the toss, said his "gut feeling" was to bat first.
Samson called it a "special moment" and spoke about how "keeping things simple" is working for him, adding, "I have never seen yellow so much in Wankhede ever in my life!"
@B7$
One more defeat at Wankhede and MI will equal their longest losing streak at home from 2017-18.
@B8$
Birdies reckon Wankhede might just turn yellow next season. Not for CSK, but to make it look like the stands are empty rather than packed with away colours of their arch-rivals.
@B9$
It's @L3$ at the Chinnaswamy, with the hosts knowing that they are well placed, but a second home defeat could create some unease. GT have also won the last two of the three matches in the garden city.
@B10$
At least four wickets in the Powerplay for the team that bats first.
