In a surprising turn of events during the IPL 2026 match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, Shardul Thakur walked out to bat for Mumbai Indians, despite not being part of the starting XI or even named as an impact player. The development came after Mumbai had already used opener Danish Malewar as their impact substitute in place of Allah Ghazanfar.
Why did Shardul Thakur bat?
Shardul Thakur entered the field as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, who sustained an injury in the first innings while attempting a catch. Santner had bowled four overs, taking one wicket and conceding 44 runs before being forced to leave the field. Thakur came to the crease in the 13th over of the second innings, immediately after Noor Ahmad dismissed Hardik Pandya and Sherfane Rutherford off consecutive deliveries. At the time of reporting, Mumbai Indians were struggling at 95 for 7.
Sanju Samson's brilliant century
Earlier in the match, Sanju Samson smashed his fifth IPL century, reaching the milestone on the final ball of the innings with a boundary off Krish Bhagat. This was his second hundred of the season, his second for Chennai Super Kings, and the fifth of his IPL career. Samson remained unbeaten on 101 off 54 balls, anchoring the innings while wickets fell at the other end. His knock included 10 fours and six sixes, propelling Chennai Super Kings to a formidable total of 207 for 6.
Bowling highlights
For Mumbai Indians, AM Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar claimed two wickets each, while Jasprit Bumrah recorded figures of 1 for 31. Despite their efforts, CSK managed to post a challenging target.
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