IPL 2024 Sanju Samson breaks MS Dhoni's record, becomes fastest Indian to 200 IPL sixes during 86 vs DC

 Tuesday (May 7), saw the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) edge past Rajasthan Royals (RR) to remain in the playoffs race.

Asked to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the home side made 221 for 8 riding on Jake Fraser-McGurk's 50, Abhishek Porel's 65 and Tristan Stubbs' 20-ball 41. In reply, Sanju Samson-led RR managed 201 for 8 despite their captain's majestic 46-ball 86. Despite two back-to-back losses, RR remain at the top with 16 points and are almost there in the playoffs.

During his brilliant knock, the right-hander became the fastest Indian to the landmark of 200 IPL sixes. He got to the feat in his 159th innings to break MS Dhoni's record, who attained the record in his 165th innings. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina are third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Notably, Samson is now the 10th batter to hit 200 or more IPL sixes. The other batters featured in this list are Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, David Warner, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell.

Fastest Indians to 200 IPL sixes

Sanju Samson - 159 innings

MS Dhoni - 165 innings

Virat Kohli - 180 innings

Rohit Sharma - 185 innings

Suresh Raina - 193 innings

Samson has been very impressive in the ongoing IPL 2024 edition, with 471 runs in 11 games at an average of 67.29 and a strike rate of 163.54. He is the third-highest run-getter at present. Talking about his knock versus DC, the wicketkeeper-batter looked in his elements from the word go and hit 8 fours and 6 sixes, at a strike-rate of 186.96, before controversially getting out in the 16th over while trying to hit a six off Mukesh Kumar's bowling.

After Samson's fall, RR fell behind and lost by 20 runs but still have 16 points from 11 encounters.