Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill NEW DELHI: Working at lightning speed behind the stumps, knocking down bails at lightning speed – this is a skill long associated with MS Dhoni. On Sunday, Sanju Samson brought back those memories with a brilliant trick shot by Shubman Gill during the IPL 2026 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.That moment came in Gujarat Titans seventh innings. Defending 158/7, CSK were desperate for a breakthrough.The delivery, trickling down the leg side, almost looked wide and Gill missed his movement. Alert and razor sharp though, Samson collected the ball and cleared the bails in a split second with Gill’s leg still in the air.It was a stunning piece of wicket-taking that lifted the Chepauk crowd and the fans erupted as Samson’s effort brought back memories of Dhoni’s signature brilliance behind the stumps.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKEarlier in the innings, Samson also achieved a major batting milestone, becoming the fastest Indian – in terms of number of balls faced – to reach 5,000 runs in IPL history. He got there by hitting Kagiso Rabada for a boundary, though the pacer later dismissed him for 11.Samson is now the 10th batsman overall to cross the 5000-run mark in the IPL, achieving the milestone in just 180 innings. He needed 3555 balls to get there, making him among the fastest in the world, behind the likes of AB de Villiers.Having represented Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and CSK since his debut in 2013, Samson has built a reputation as a consistent performer. He joins an elite list that includes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane.With more than 5,000 IPL runs at a strike rate above 140, along with many centuries and fifties, Samson continues to highlight his value as a dynamic and reliable top-order batsman.
