Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered their first win of the season on Saturday, April 11, as they defeated the Delhi Capitals (DC) by 23 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, and Jamie Overton were the star performers on the night for the five-time champions.
Mhatre and Samson forged a 113-run stand off just 68 balls to set the foundation for the hosts to post a formidable total of 212/2 in their 20 overs. Mhatre scored 59 off 36 balls, while Samson remained unbeaten on 115 off 56 deliveries.
While former CSK batter Subramaniam Badrinath said that Mhatre isn’t on the same level as the 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, he commended his bat swing.
“The Mhatre-Samson partnership was the spine of the innings. At one stage, Mhatre was overtaking Sanju. He played an aggressive role, which I really liked. He is also very strong for his age with incredible bat speed. Of course, it’s not to the level of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. But still, he seems to be one to stay,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Yet, Badrinath opined that the CSK management made the right call by retiring Mhatre out in the 18th over and sending Shivam Dube into the middle.
“CSK also did the right thing by subbing him out and bringing Shivam Dube in. But Dewald Brevis might have been a better option at that time. Samson and Mhatre slowed down in the end overs because of tiredness and not lack of intent,” he added.
Dube faced only 10 balls but made them count, as he belted two fours and a six to finish not out on 20. His blitzkrieg at the back end of the innings helped CSK finish with momentum on their side.
“He told me Sanju did not come to practice at all on the eve of the match” – S Badrinath’s stunning revelation on the star batter
Badrinath revealed that he had a conversation with CSK’s assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram at the ground, and the former India left-arm seamer informed him that Samson didn’t attend practice on the eve of the game. However, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter practised for three hours a couple of days before the fixture.
“I spoke to Sridharan Sriram at the ground. He told me Sanju did not come to practice at all on the eve of the match. But two days before the game, he practiced for three hours. He practiced drills on the indoor wickets before practicing hitting on the center wicket. The day before the match, he took off completely and did not come to the ground,” said Badrinath (via the aforementioned source).
“So he was fresh and well-prepared. I could also see that he was very calm. He was breathing and relaxed and never looked fussed. It could be because of this practice technique and recovery. He took great shot options for the Chepauk wicket. The way he paced his innings was brilliant. Sanju himself will be relieved to play such a knock at Chepauk and win CSK the game,” he added.
Former CSK star shares insights into Dhoni’s return to IPL
Samson scored just 22 runs in the first three innings he played for the Men in Yellow this season. However, on Saturday, he set the stage ablaze, announcing his arrival at the iconic franchise.
