MI vs CSK, IPL 2026: Samson, Hosein seal comfortable win for Super Kings Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with his second hundred of IPL 2026. And Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell sealed the deal as the marquee clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) turned into a cakewalk for the visitor on Thursday.
Samson’s fifth IPL hundred, coupled with Akeal producing arguably the spell of the season, left MI on the mat as CSK registered a thumping 103-run win. After posting 207 for six, CSK bundled MI out for 104 in 19 overs with little fuss, the chase never quite taking off.
Impact Player Akeal, drafted in for his new-ball utility, struck immediately. His first over saw MI’s Impact Player Danish Malewar edge one behind the stumps. Soon after, Quinton de Kock played on off Mukesh Choudhary — the pacer gesturing to the heavens in tribute to his mother, who passed away earlier in the week. In his next over, Akeal spun one in from leg stump to castle Naman Dhir. At 11 for three, MI was already on the ropes.
The Wankhede, packed and loud, found itself outnumbered and outvoiced by a sea of yellow. The onus fell on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma but Akeal returned to break that resistance, sneaking one through Tilak’s defence. Alongside Noor Ahmad, he triggered a collapse — four wickets for three runs off nine balls — as MI slipped from 84 for three to 87 for seven. Shardul Thakur, on as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, merely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Samson had ensured that CSK had a big total to defend. Ruturaj Gaikwad started briskly before falling to Allah Ghazanfar while Shivam Dube struggled for timing. The rest of the top-order maintained strike rates above 150.
Samson, watchful early, opened up with precision later. On 85 at the start of the final over, he muscled one over deep midwicket off Krish Bhagat, then, after two dots, carved a wide ball over covers. Farming strike, he finished with a pull over square leg for a one-bounce four — a flourish that helped him celebrate the milestone in style and push MI on the back foot.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#CSK #IPL #Samson #Hosein #seal #comfortable #win #Super #Kings
Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with his second hundred of IPL 2026. And Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell sealed the deal as the marquee clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) turned into a cakewalk for the visitor on Thursday.
Samson’s fifth IPL hundred, coupled with Akeal producing arguably the spell of the season, left MI on the mat as CSK registered a thumping 103-run win. After posting 207 for six, CSK bundled MI out for 104 in 19 overs with little fuss, the chase never quite taking off.
Impact Player Akeal, drafted in for his new-ball utility, struck immediately. His first over saw MI’s Impact Player Danish Malewar edge one behind the stumps. Soon after, Quinton de Kock played on off Mukesh Choudhary — the pacer gesturing to the heavens in tribute to his mother, who passed away earlier in the week. In his next over, Akeal spun one in from leg stump to castle Naman Dhir. At 11 for three, MI was already on the ropes.
The Wankhede, packed and loud, found itself outnumbered and outvoiced by a sea of yellow. The onus fell on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma but Akeal returned to break that resistance, sneaking one through Tilak’s defence. Alongside Noor Ahmad, he triggered a collapse — four wickets for three runs off nine balls — as MI slipped from 84 for three to 87 for seven. Shardul Thakur, on as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, merely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Samson had ensured that CSK had a big total to defend. Ruturaj Gaikwad started briskly before falling to Allah Ghazanfar while Shivam Dube struggled for timing. The rest of the top-order maintained strike rates above 150.
Samson, watchful early, opened up with precision later. On 85 at the start of the final over, he muscled one over deep midwicket off Krish Bhagat, then, after two dots, carved a wide ball over covers. Farming strike, he finished with a pull over square leg for a one-bounce four — a flourish that helped him celebrate the milestone in style and push MI on the back foot.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
![Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28454807.jpg "Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals")
![Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals](https://i0.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28454807.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals")
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