Sanju Samson became the fastest Indian to reach 5,000 IPL runs, achieving the milestone in just 3,555 balls during the Chennai Super Kings versus Gujarat Titans match on April 26, 2026.
He reached the landmark while scoring only 11 runs, becoming the third batsman overall to achieve 5,000 IPL runs in the fewest balls, surpassing Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni in this specific record.
Samson’s dismissal came in the fourth over of Chennai’s innings when Kagiso Rabada induced an edge off the third ball, which was comfortably taken by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.
Rabada went on to claim his second wicket in the same over, having Urvil Patel caught by Jason Holder on the fifth ball after a failed attempt to repeat a boundary shot.
The Gujarat pacers’ early strike left Chennai reeling at 14 for 2, with Samson and Patel both dismissed cheaply despite the former’s historic contribution.
While Samson’s individual feat was historic, it came in a losing cause as Chennai struggled to build momentum after the early blows from Rabada’s incisive spell.
The achievement places Samson in elite company, joining only a handful of batters to have crossed the 5,000-run barrier in IPL history, and doing so at the fastest strike rate among Indians.
His consistency across seasons, built on aggressive strokeplay and classical technique, laid the foundation for this milestone, even as his innings on this occasion was brief.
The contrast between Samson’s personal landmark and the team’s early collapse underscores the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, where individual brilliance does not always translate to collective success.
How many balls did Samson take to reach 5,000 IPL runs?
Samson reached 5,000 IPL runs in 3,555 balls, the fewest by any Indian player in the tournament’s history.
Who dismissed Samson when he reached the milestone?
Kagiso Rabada dismissed Samson for 11 runs, inducing an edge that was caught by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler in the fourth over of Chennai’s innings.