In A Man To Man Comparison, MI Are Slightly Ahead : Irfan Pathan

Chennai Super Kings opened their account with a 23-run win over Delhi Capitals in the TATA IPL 2026, while Punjab Kings defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets on Saturday afternoon. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’, JioStar experts Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan and Cheteshwar Pujara discussed Sanju Samson’s innings for CSK, the game-changing moment between PBKS and SRH and today’s ‘Rivalry Week’ match between MI and RCB.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’ programme, JioStar expert Anil Kumble heaped praise on Sanju Samson for his century, the first of TATA IPL 2026:

“From the wagon wheel, you can see that he plays all over the ground. It’s not just that he has a strong offside or a strong offside. What was really impressive was that he thought about playing straight and not with a horizontal bat. When your first thought process is to play with a flat bat and then you make those adjustments when a bowler bowls short, it becomes much easier for a batsman to score runs. His awareness of the game is excellent and he makes it count when he gets into action. We saw that later. In the T20 World Cup he made the 90s.” He didn’t make hundreds but it was different in this match. It was his first hundred for CSK and his fourth overall, which was a huge relief for both the CSK fans and Sanju Samson because there was a lot of pressure on him after the tough first three games.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search Artificial Intelligence Mode Match Center Live’ program, JioStar expert Cheteshwar Pujara weighed in on how such a win would be a confidence booster for CSK:

“If you look at the CSK camp, the body language of every player, including the support staff, showed that they badly needed this win. They will relax and start believing that they have a chance now that they have their first win on the board. When you start winning in the IPL, it is always about momentum. You start believing that you can get to the play-offs, because when you are losing, no matter how hard you try to maintain a good environment, there is always some chance. But when you start winning, everyone starts thinking positive.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Center Live’ program, JioStar expert Irfan Pathan looked at the game-changing moment of the PBKS and SRH match:

“It was a game-changing moment. Had it not been for those two wickets, Shashank taking both at the same time, Sunrisers could have easily made 250. Abhishek and Travis Head gave them such a start that they lost their first wicket on 120. Shashank, who was not bowling regularly, wanted the ball himself. He went to Shreyas and the Captain showed confidence in him. He bowled with a plan, getting the ball out. Abhishek avoided bowling and changed his pace. Between 220 and 250 The difference could have made things even tougher for Punjab. They are in some form right now.

About the Rivalry Week clash between MI and RCB:

“RCB are currently traveling. When they played their first two matches at home, they won comfortably, but the moment they went away, they lost against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. So, there will be a few questions in the camp. I think the match will be decided by which team bowls better in the final innings and the toss will also be a major factor. RCB is in form, but compared to man-to-man, I think Mumbai are slightly ahead.”