"Thala For A Reason": DC Credits MS Dhoni For Sanju Samson's Blazing Knock Vs England

DC takes dig at Sanju Samson using MS Dhoni [Source: @pipliya41196, @hajarkagalwa/X.com]

Sanju Samson smashed a blazing 89 off 42 balls against England in the second semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. However, DC took a swipe at Samson by giving his innings's credit to former Indian legend MS Dhoni.

The Indian opener has been in the form of his life. He hammered 97 off 50 balls against the West Indies in the last Super 8 game while chasing 196 runs. Samson, already fighting for his spot, didn’t waste his opportunity further.

DC adds MS Dhoni twist to Sanju Samson’s heroic knock

In the crucial semi-final against England, India needed a strong start in the first inning after losing Abhishek Sharma early. Sanju Samson, meanwhile, took the responsibility.

He stitched a 97-run partnership with Ishan Kishan and hit an inspiring 89 off just 42 balls. His innings, interestingly, included 8 fours and 7 sixes.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals’ social media account added a twist to draw parallels. On X, DC posted a picture of MS Dhoni cheering for Sanju Samson from the stands. Then, the post mentioned how Samson hit 7 sixes as a tribute to Dhoni. 

Delhi Capitals

@DelhiCapitals

For a reason 🙏

Mar 5, 2026, 8:52 PM

Notably, MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson are soon going to be teammates for the Chennai Super Kings. CSK traded the Keralite from the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.

So, the ‘7 sixes’ was meant as a friendly dig from DC towards CSK just weeks ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

Also Read - KL Rahul, Ranbir Kapoor Lead Wave Of Celebrities To Throng Wankhede For IND vs ENG Semifinal

India post record total after Samson’s blitz

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson’s knock helped India set a record total of 253/7. After the opener’s 89-run knock, Shivam Dube added 43 off 25 balls. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma scored 27 and 21 runs, respectively, to put India past 250 runs.

At the end of the first 20 overs, India had 253 runs, which is the highest total ever in a T20 World Cup knockout game.  

However, in response, England got momentum after the fall of early wickets. Despite losing 4 wickets at just 95 runs, Jacob Bethell turned things around for his team. He hit his fifty in just 19 balls, with Will Jacks playing anchor on the other end.

The game may go down to the wire despite India posting such a big total. Such was the pitch at Wankhede as runs flew in abundance.

IPL schedule to be released in two phases

While the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is still in progress, fans are still awaiting the release of the IPL 2026 schedule. According to reports, the BCCI may not release the full list of fixtures at once.

The first phase of fixtures will cover roughly the first 13-14 days of matches, and this may be announced around March 6-7. The rest of the schedule will be revealed later once certain external factors, such as state elections, become clear.

However, the new likely start dates are either March 28 or March 29. The final is still expected to be played on May 31.

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