Samson's second century of season leads Chennai to big win over Mumbai in Indian Premier League

MUMBAI, India (AP) — Sanju Samson smashed his second century this season for Chennai Super Kings and Akeal Hosein dismantled Mumbai Indians’ top order with a four-wicket haul in a 103-run win in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Samson followed his unbeaten century against Delhi Capitals with a 101 not out off 54 balls to anchor Chennai to 207-6.

Hosein (4-17) jolted Mumbai’s chase inside the power play with two wickets in his first two overs, and fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary bowled Quinton de Kock for 7 before Mumbai got bowled out for 104 in 19 overs.

It was Mumbai’s worst-ever defeat in the IPL and the first time it lost three straight games at Wankhede in one season.

Hosein had young impact player Danish Malewar caught behind off the first ball and then clean bowled Naman Dhir with a ball that turned, bounced and gripped and when de Kock dragged Choudhary's ball back onto his stumps Mumbai slumped to 11-3 inside the first 15 deliveries of its run chase.

Tilak Varma (37) and Suryakumar Yadav (35) were the only Mumbai batters to reach double-figures but never got going before both fell in Hosein’s return spell. Wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad (2-23) then killed off the chase by dismissing Hardik Pandya and Sherfane Rutherford off successive balls.

Earlier, Samson raised his hundred off the final ball with his 10th four of the innings and also smacked six sixes despite Mumbai briefly stemming the flow of runs through spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who ended up with 2-25.

“Really feels great to score a century at the Wankhede against MI,” Samson said. “We were losing few wickets so I thought it was important for a settled batsman to stay and that’s what I tried and that’s what happened today.”

Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s struggles continued, but his knock of 22 was the second most in Chennai’s total with Samson doing the bulk of the scoring at a strike rate of almost 200.

Pandya’s (0-38) two expensive overs with the new ball provided Chennai a solid platform of 73-2 in the power play with both Gaikwad and Sarfaraz Khan (14) falling against spinner Ghazanfar and Mitchell Santner (1-44).

Chennai middle-order batters played cameos with Dewald Brevis (21 off 11 balls) and Jamie Overton (15 off 7 balls) scoring at a brisk pace, but it was Samson’s aggression in the death overs that led Chennai past the 200-run mark.

Samson was on 85 off 48 balls but kept the strike to himself in the last over and completed his second century with two sixes off Krish Bhagat (0-31) and then nailed the final short ball to mid-wicket boundary.

“We couldn’t cope after losing early wickets in the power play,” Pandya said. “We should have just batted better. They batted on the same pitch … Sanju played an outstanding knock and their batters kept coming and chipping away to a decent total.”

Mumbai slipped to No. 8 after just two wins from seven games, while Chennai moved to No. 5 on better net run-rate then Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Chennai Super Kings' Noor Ahmad, right, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 23, 2026.(AP Photo/ Rafiq Maqbool)

Chennai Super Kings' Sanju Samson dives to field the ball as Mumbai Indians' Tilak Varma looks back after playing a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 23, 2026.(AP Photo/ Rafiq Maqbool)

Chennai Super Kings' Akeal Hosein, center, celebrates with teammates the wicket of Kolkata Knight Riders' Angkrish Raghuvanshi during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai, India, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo)

Chennai Super Kings' Sanju Samson plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 23, 2026.(AP Photo/ Rafiq Maqbool)

Chennai Super Kings' Sanju Samson celebrates his century during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 23, 2026.(AP Photo/ Rafiq Maqbool)

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines with the intent of reselling the struggling budget carrier after oil prices drop.

The president confirmed his continued interest in offering Spirit a financial lifeline after a lawyer told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that the airline was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal.

“They have some good aircraft and good assets, and when the prices of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit,” Trump said, speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event. “I’d love to be able to save those jobs. I’d love to be able to save an airline.”

Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat.

The White House on Wednesday attempted to blame Spirit’s predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 million. A little more than a year before Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers.

But some lawmakers and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have voiced skepticism about the government stepping in to keep Spirit alive. In a CBS interview that aired Tuesday night, the transportation secretary questioned whether a financing deal would set a broader precedent.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for Spirit Airlines said Thursday that the budget carrier was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal that would help it emerge from bankruptcy protection instead of having to shut down.

Details of the potential deal have been shared with all three of the company’s primary creditor groups, Marshall Huebner, a lawyer with Davis Polk, said during a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing in New York.

Spirit has struggled with losses for years. The airline filed for Chapter 11 protection in November 2024 and again in August 2005. Government financing would make the airline's latest reorganization possible and help Spirit be more competitive, Huebner said.

With the Iran war driving up jet fuel costs for all airlines, creditors earlier this month expressed doubts about Spirit's ongoing viability, raising the possibility the airline recognized for its bright yellow planes would be forced to sell its assets and cease operating.

Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat.

Asked about possible government relief, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters the same day that Trump had directed the Department of Transportation to review possible options.

The size and terms of the financial aid under discussion have not been shared publicly. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both reported anonymous sources saying the amount was $500 million and the government would reserve the option to acquire a sizable stake in the airline, which has its headquarters in Florida.

The White House on Wednesday attempted to blame Spirit's predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 million. A little more than a year before Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers.

But some lawmakers and even Duffy have voiced skepticism about the government stepping in to keep Spirit alive. In a CBS interview that aired Tuesday night, the transportation secretary questioned whether a financing deal would set a broader precedent.

“Then who else comes to my door?” Duffy said, referring to other airlines potentially requesting government aid. “The question will be, can we do anything to save Spirit and make it viable, or would we be putting good money into a company that inevitably is going to be liquidated?”

Several lawmakers, both Republican and Democrats, have balked at the idea of a bailout. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on X on Wednesday that a deal for Spirit would be a “terrible idea.”

“If Spirit’s creditors or other potential investors don’t think they can run it profitably coming out of its second bankruptcy in under two years, I doubt the US Government can either,” Tom Cotton, a senator from Arkansas, posted. “Not the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

The union that represents the airline's pilots, on the other hand, voiced “strong support” for a rescue deal.

“Spirit is the reason so many Americans can afford to visit family, travel for work, or take a vacation,” said Capt. Ryan P. Muller, chair of the Spirit Airlines ALPA Master Executive Council. “When Spirit enters a market, fares go down.”

Spirit’s relatively young fleet has made it an attractive acquisition target. But previous buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during Spirit’s first bankruptcy.

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AP writers Josh Boak in Washington and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

FILE - The tail of a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 is shown as the plane prepares to take off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Jan. 19, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)