Sanju Samson becomes fastest Indian player to complete 5k IPL runs

Chennai: Sanju Samson etched his name into the record books by becoming the fastest Indian, in terms of balls, to reach 5,000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, achieving the milestone during Chennai Super Kings’ clash against Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

The 31-year-old achieved this milestone impressively by hitting Kagiso Rabada for a boundary in the second over. However, Rabada had the last laugh, dismissing Samson for 11 off 15 balls later in the fourth over.

Samson is now the 10th overall batter to surpass 5,000 runs in IPL history, reaching the mark in just 180 innings (185 matches). It took him 3555 balls to reach this milestone, making him the fastest Indian to do so by balls faced. Only a few global stars have reached this milestone faster in terms of balls faced, with AB de Villiers leading.

Throughout his IPL career, Samson has played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils), and CSK, and has also captained Rajasthan. His IPL journey started in 2013, and he has become one of the league’s most reliable performers.

Among the elite 5,000-run club, Samson joins notable players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, K.L. Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, and Ajinkya Rahane. IANS

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