Watch: Ayush Mhatre celebrates 27-ball fifty with back-to-back sixes during CSK vs DC clash in IPL 2026

Even though the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reached 61/0 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against the Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, they needed two batters to continue the onslaught from both ends in the middle overs to cross the 200-run mark in their allotted 20 overs. 

The five-time champions lost their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, for a criminal knock of 15 runs in 17 balls in the seventh over as Ayush Mhatre walked into the crease, fresh from his half-century at the same ground from his last fixture against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Ayush Mhatre brings up 27-ball half-century in IPL 2026

Mhatre punished Kuldeep Yadav for his first boundary of the evening with a pull shot through the gap at long-on and deep mid-wicket. He nailed T Natarajan through the backward point region for a strong boundary before launching Kuldeep into the stand for a six.

When Lungi Ngidi came into the back and used his slower balls, it was important for one of the batters to read the slower balls and make a strong connection. The Mumbai-born slashed hard to get a four off the outside edge before picking the slower ball over the bowler’s head for a huge six.

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He clubbed the left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, over the long-on region for a towering six before celebrating his half-century off just 27 balls as he crouched a bit and swung hard across the line with the ball sailing over the rope for a six.

However, he failed to get the momentum towards the back end of the innings and was retired out for 59 runs in 36 balls with the help of four sixes and three boundaries.

Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 115 shoulders CSK to 212/2

Sanju Samson carried his bat through the innings and finished on an unbeaten knock of 115 runs in just 56 balls, scoring 15 boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of more than 200. Shivam Dube was equally good for the small contribution of 20 runs in 10 balls as CSK finished with 212/2 in their allotted 20 overs.

See Also: Watch: Axar Patel dismisses Ruturaj Gaikwad for 15 during CSK vs DC clash in IPL 2026

With the ball for DC, Ngidi was excellent with the ball for his figures of 1/39 in four overs, while Nataraj had a nightmarish evening as he was slapped for 54 runs without any reward in four overs.

Brief Scores: DC 51/0 (P Nissanka 31*) vs CSK 212/2 (Sanju Samson 115*, A Mhatre 59, Axar Patel 1/39) 

Fans react to Mhatre’s sixes to reach fifty in IPL 2026

Here is how the fans have reacted to Mhatre’s successive sixes to reach fifty in the IPL 2026-