NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson continued his rich vein of form in the IPL 2026 Chennai Super Kings against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. The right-hander once again showed his simple yet effective approach – watch the ball closely, and when in rhythm, send it sailing over the boundary.Samson began his innings with caution, facing the opening over from Mohammed Siraj where he managed just a single run. But he quickly shifted gears in the next over, taking on Gujarat Titans’ pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada. He cracked a clean boundary off Rabada, and in the process reached a major milestone – 5000 runs in the Indian Premier League.
The achievement placed him in elite company, but what stood out even more was the speed at which he reached the landmark. Samson became one of the fastest batters in IPL history to get to 5000 runs, surpassing several big names in the format.The list of fastest to 5000 IPL runs highlights his rapid rise among the greats.Fewest balls to 5000 IPL runs
- 3288 AB de Villiers
- 3554 D Warner
- 3555 S Samson *
- 3620 S Raina
- 3688 KL Rahul
- 3691 MS Dhoni
AB de Villiers tops the chart, reaching the mark in 3288 balls, followed by David Warner in 3554 balls. Samson now joins this elite group, going past Suresh Raina (3620 balls), KL Rahul (3688 balls), and MS Dhoni (3691 balls), underlining his consistency and strike rate in the league.
Most runs in Indian Premier League
| Player | Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | 274 | 8989 | 113* | 39.95 | 6720 | 133.76 | 8 | 66 |
| Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers/Mumbai Indians) | 276 | 7183 | 109* | 29.92 | 5417 | 132.60 | 2 | 48 |
| Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi Capitals/Deccan Chargers/Mumbai Indians/Punjab Kings/Sunrisers Hyderabad) | 222 | 6769 | 106* | 35.25 | 5324 | 127.14 | 2 | 51 |
| David Warner (Delhi Capitals/Sunrisers Hyderabad) | 184 | 6565 | 126 | 40.52 | 4697 | 139.77 | 4 | 62 |
| KL Rahul (Delhi Capitals/Kings XI Punjab/Lucknow Super Giants/Punjab Kings/Royal Challengers Bengaluru/Sunrisers Hyderabad) | 152 | 5579 | 152* | 46.88 | 4029 | 138.47 | 6 | 42 |
| Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings/Gujarat Lions) | 205 | 5528 | 100* | 32.51 | 4043 | 136.73 | 1 | 39 |
| MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings/Rising Pune Supergiant) | 278 | 5439 | 84* | 38.30 | 3957 | 137.45 | 0 | 24 |
| Ajinkya Rahane (Chennai Super Kings/Delhi Capitals/Kolkata Knight Riders/Mumbai Indians/Rising Pune Supergiant/Rajasthan Royals) | 205 | 5184 | 105* | 30.31 | 4130 | 125.52 | 2 | 34 |
| AB de Villiers (Delhi Capitals/Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | 184 | 5162 | 133* | 39.70 | 3403 | 151.68 | 3 | 40 |
| Sanju Samson (Chennai Super Kings/Delhi Capitals/Rajasthan Royals) | 185 | 5008 | 119 | 31.69 | 3562 | 140.59 | 5 | 26 |
| Chris Gayle (Kolkata Knight Riders/Kings XI Punjab/Punjab Kings/Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | 142 | 4965 | 175* | 39.72 | 3333 | 148.96 | 6 | 31 |
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping early conditions would help his attack. GT came into the match placed seventh on the points table with six points from three wins in seven games, while CSK sat fifth with the same points but a better net run rate.Both teams made a change for this crucial mid-table clash. GT included Arshad Khan to strengthen their bowling options, while CSK handed a spot in the playing XI to Urvil Patel, looking to add more balance to their lineup.Teams:Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh.
