Golden duck for Sanju Samson as Gill's GT shuts IPL playoff door for CSK
Sanju Samson's golden duck, followed by a batting collapse, saw CSK bowled out for 140.
Sanju Samson's golden duck, followed by a batting collapse, saw CSK bowled out for 140.
Sanju Samson's golden duck, followed by a batting collapse, saw CSK bowled out for 140.
Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2026 playoff hopes suffered a crushing blow as star batter Sanju Samson departed for a golden duck in their must-win clash against Gujarat Titans on Thursday.
Chasing a daunting target of 230, CSK’s fate appeared sealed on the very first ball of the innings when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Samson with a perfect delivery that safely found Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
The early setback proved too much for the Super Kings to recover from as wickets fell at regular intervals. Apart from Shivam Dube’s explosive 47 off 17 balls, none of the batters managed to put up resistance, with CSK eventually getting bowled out for 140 and losing by 89 runs.
Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 16, while Matt Short made 24. Urvil Patel too departed for a duck as the batting lineup crumbled under pressure.
Samson had been one of CSK’s standout performers this season, with the franchise winning most matches in which the Kerala batter made significant contributions. But Siraj’s opening strike left the yellow brigade rattled from the start.
Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan starred with the ball for Gujarat Titans, claiming three wickets each.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans posted a commanding 229/4 after being invited to bat, courtesy of fluent half-centuries from opener Sai Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill.
The duo stitched together a 125-run opening partnership to lay the foundation for the massive total. Sudharsan scored 84 off 53 balls, while Gill smashed 64 off just 37 deliveries.
Jos Buttler then provided the finishing touch with a blistering unbeaten 57 off 27 balls, an innings studded with five boundaries and four sixes.
With the win, the Titans now have 18 points and are in the second spot in the table. CSK, meanwhile, has finished the season with just 6 wins from 14 games and stands at 7th.
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Titans: 229 for 4 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 84, Shubman Gill 64, Jos Buttler 57 not out, Spencer Johnson 1/47).
Chennai Super Kings: 140 all out in 13.4 overs (Shivam Dube 47; Rashid Khan 3/18, Mohammed Siraj 3/26, Kagiso Rabada 3/32).