Sanju Samson is a man in form, and it doesn't seem to matter whether he is facing a rookie uncapped Indian bowler or Jasprit Bumrah. As Samson came up against Bumrah, arguably the world's number one pacer at the moment-he looked absolutely unfazed. In the fifth over of the match, Samson dispatched Bumrah for a magnificent six over the mid-wicket area after efficiently reading a slower delivery from the pace maestro, proving his exemplary form and confidence in the Rajasthan Royals shirt.
Samson, who remained unbeaten throughout the match with a score of 101, struck a total of six sixes and ten fours during his stay in the middle. His six off Bumrah turned quite a few heads and even drew a reaction from Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians veteran.
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 23, 2026
Sanju Samson reads the slower one & launches it over square leg for a MAXIMUM! #TATAIPL 2026 | #MIvCSK | LIVE NOW https://t.co/vkBKeocOG2 pic.twitter.com/Xw9Ez3Qzi4
Rohit's reaction suggested that he wasn't surprised by Samson's brilliance at all, despite the fact that he was facing Bumrah.
Speaking after the match, Samson called the century at the Wankhede Stadium against the hosts a "special moment."
"It really feels great to score a century at the Wankhede against MI. It's definitely a special moment for me and the team. I have kept things very simple recently; I'm just looking at the conditions. Looking at the wicket today, it was not a typical Wankhede track. The ball was swinging around and holding a bit. From there, I think assessing what the team demands gives you clarity. Right after the powerplay, I knew what type of wicket this was," he said.
Samson remained focused on his target despite the fact that wickets kept falling at the other end. He admitted that he could have scored at a quicker rate had he found more support in the middle, but he was happy to have accelerated towards the end to help his team surpass the 200-run mark.
"We kept losing wickets at intervals. Whenever we wanted to go big, we lost a partner, so I thought it was very important for a settled batsman to stay until the end. That is what I tried to do, and that is what happened today. The game tells you what to do; you don't have to go in with a pre-conceived mindset or premeditate your play. With the experience I have, the team definitely comes first.
"The responsibility shown in me means it is my job to understand the match situation and what the team demands, putting that first and planning my innings around it. As I said, I go in with a very open mindset. If we hadn't lost so many wickets, I would have attacked even earlier. Given the fall of wickets, it was vital for us to close out the innings well," he concluded.
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