Chennai: Sanju Samson marked a major career milestone in the IPL 2026 on Sunday, becoming one of the quickest batters to reach 5000 runs in the tournament while also moving ahead of MS Dhoni in the all-time fastest list during Chennai Super Kings’ clash against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The Rajasthan Royals-turned-CSK wicketkeeper-batter brought up the landmark in style with a boundary off Kagiso Rabada after initially starting cautiously against Mohammed Siraj. Samson, who scored just a single run in the opening over, quickly settled into rhythm and shifted gears with controlled aggression.

The 5000-run mark places Samson in elite company among IPL batters known for both consistency and strike rate. More importantly, the milestone underlines the speed at which he has accumulated runs in the league’s history.

AB de Villiers remains the fastest to reach 5000 IPL runs, achieving the feat in just 3288 balls, followed by David Warner in 3554 deliveries. Samson now sits ahead of several established names in the format’s elite list, including Suresh Raina (3620 balls), KL Rahul (3688 balls), and MS Dhoni (3691 balls). The Chennai Super Kings icon, widely known as “Thala,” is now among the players surpassed by Samson in terms of speed to the milestone.

The achievement adds another dimension to Samson’s growing reputation as one of the most efficient top-order batters in the IPL, combining steady accumulation with an ability to accelerate when needed.

Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first, banking on early assistance from the Chepauk surface. Both sides entered the contest level on six points from seven matches, with Gujarat Titans seventh on the table and Chennai Super Kings fifth, separated only by net run rate.

Each team made a single change to their playing XI. Gujarat Titans included Arshad Khan to bolster their bowling attack, while Chennai Super Kings brought in Urvil Patel to strengthen their batting depth.