DC vs CSK Highlights, IPL 2026: Sanju Samson shines with unbeaten 87 as Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets

Lungi Ngidi to Sanju Samson, Slower one, on leg, Sanju Samson looks to flick it but misses and is hit on the front pad. A stifled appeal from Lungi Ngidi, but it was going down leg.

Lungi Ngidi (2-0-17-1) is back.

Mitchell Starc to Kartik Sharma, Too full, on middle and leg, Kartik Sharma flicks it to the mid-wicket fielder. 51 needed off 42 balls now.

Mitchell Starc to Sanju Samson, Nice and full, just outside off, Sanju Samson drives it through cover for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Sanju Samson, Good length, just outside off, Sanju Samson stays back and blocks it to the point fielder.

Mitchell Starc to Sanju Samson, Mitchell Starc keeps it full, on off, Sanju Samson pushes it to the cover fielder.

Mitchell Starc to Sanju Samson, FOUR MORE! This is some knock from Sanju Samson! Mitchell Starc goes full and wide outside off, Sanju Samson reaches out to it again, opens the face of the bat, and steers it through backward point for yet another boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Sanju Samson is in some form here! He made it look so easy. Fuller, outside off, Sanju Samson reaches out to it and drives it through covers for a boundary. 100 comes up for CSK.

Mitchell Starc (2-0-10-0) has been brought back with CSK needing 60 runs from 48 balls.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Just short! Slows it up, shortish and on middle, holds up in the surface. Kartik Sharma looks to clip it away but gets a leading edge. It lobs up but just drops in front of Kuldeep Yadav. 18 runs off the over!

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, FIFTY FOR SAMSON! A fine knock from him, and he follows up a hundred against DC earlier in the season with a half-century. Flighted, full and on off, Sanju Samson eases it down to long off for a single. He will want to stay till the end and take his side home.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Easy pickings! Kuldeep Yadav tries to bowl a seam-up delivery, but bowls this short and down the leg side. Sanju Samson adjusts well and just paddles it away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. That brings up the 50-RUN STAND between these two batters.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, SIX! You cannot bowl there! A half-tracker, on middle, turns in, begging to be hit. Sanju Samson rocks back, opens up his stance and heaves it across the line. He does not middle it but gets enough power to clear deep mid-wicket for half a dozen more.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, SIX! Kuldeep Yadav has now been hit for a six in each of his three overs so far! Tossed up, full and on middle, turns in a bit. Sanju Samson bends his back knee, watches the ball onto his bat and launches it over the wide long on fence for a biggie.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Floater, short and on off, Kartik Sharma backs away and punches it to long off for a single.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, Shorter in length and around leg, Kartik Sharma works it away to deep mid-wicket for one more. Just 4 runs off the over. Axar ends a fine spell of bowling with figures of 4-0-25-1.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, Pushed through quicker, full and on off, Kartik Sharma taps it out to short cover.

Axar Patel to Sanju Samson, Flatter, full and angling into leg, Sanju Samson eases it to long off for another run.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, Shortish and on off, Kartik Sharma moves back and nudges it through mid-wicket for a run.

Axar Patel to Sanju Samson, Drops it short again, around off, Sanju Samson punches it through covers for a single.

Axar Patel to Sanju Samson, Short and on middle, Sanju Samson pats it back to the bowler.

Axar Patel to bowl out now. 3-0-21-1 so far for the DC skipper.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, Floated, full and on off, Sanju Samson pushes it to the right of short extra cover for a run.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Quicker, short again, on middle, Kartik Sharma clips it through mid-wicket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Flatter, short and on off, Kartik Sharma stays back to guide it away but misses.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, A leg-break now, full and on middle, Kartik Sharma defends on the front foot.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, SIX! That is a top shot! Another wrong'un, full and on off. Kartik Sharma picks it up this time, gets his hands through the shot and lofts it sweetly over deep extra cover for a biggie.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, A googly, full and around off, turns away, Kartik Sharma gets forward but plays well inside the line of it. It goes behind, where KL Rahul breaks the stumps and appeals, but nothing doing.

STRATEGIC BREAK! The game is interestingly poised, with a real contest between bat and ball, something we haven't seen too often this season. The importance of spending time in the middle is starting to show for Sanju Samson, and his role will be crucial in this chase for CSK. On a surface like this, it may take some time for a new batter to get accustomed to the pace and bounce. DC do not have a sixth bowling option, having used Sameer Rizvi as an Impact Sub, which meant the leggie Vipraj Nigam could not be included. They have three overs of Kuldeep Yadav up their sleeve, along with an over of Axar Patel, which could prove decisive from here. 

T Natarajan to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries to end the over! A slower one, full and outside off. Sanju Samson extends his arms to reach for it and drills it wide of extra cover, also beating the deep fielder to his right for four more runs. 90 needed from 66 balls.

T Natarajan to Sanju Samson, FOUR! Gets it away this time! T Natarajan bangs this into the pitch, around off again. Sanju Samson stands tall, waits for it before swatting it down the ground to the long off fence for a boundary.

T Natarajan to Sanju Samson, Hits the deck hard again, outside off, angling it away, Sanju Samson tries to cut it away but fails to connect.

T Natarajan to Kartik Sharma, Hard length and around off, Kartik Sharma stays back and stabs it out towards backward point for a single.

T Natarajan to Kartik Sharma, Short of a length and on middle, nips back in, Kartik Sharma gets a bit cramped up and dabs it towards backward point. He wants the run but is sent back. Sameer Rizvi is quick to move to his left and has a shy at the batter's end but misses. Sharma had to put in a dive. 

T Natarajan to Kartik Sharma, Back of a length and just outside off, Kartik Sharma tries to cut it a but too hard and chops it down to point.

Time for pace as T Natarajan comes into the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, Nice and full, on middle, Sanju Samson flicks it but finds the fielder at mid-wicket.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, SIX! That went flat! Slower through the air, on middle, Sanju Samson goes deep in his crease and pulls it powerfully over mid-wicket for a flat six.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Short, on off, Kartik Sharma pulls it to mid-wicket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Kartik Sharma, Flighted up, on leg, Kartik Sharma blocks it to the left of the bowler. The ball was in the air for a while, but luckily for Kartik Sharma, it landed safely on the off side.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, Fires it on off, Sanju Samson pushes it to cover for a single. 50 comes up for Chennai Super Kings.

Kuldeep Yadav to Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav starts with a dot. He goes full, on middle, Sanju Samson flicks it to the fielder at mid-wicket.

Time for Kuldeep Yadav? You bet it is.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, FOUR! Kartik Sharma gets off the mark with a boundary! Axar Patel goes shorter, on middle and leg, Kartik Sharma rocks back and pulls it in the gap through mid-wicket for a magnificent boundary. 107 needed from 78 balls now.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, Full and on middle, that is defended solidly off the front foot.

Axar Patel to Kartik Sharma, Quicker, on off, Kartik Sharma blocks it to the cover fielder.

Sharp piece of keeping from KL Rahul and DC get another breakthrough. Kartik Sharma, fresh from a fifty in the last game, comes out to the middle now. A slip in place for him.

Stumped? KL Rahul looks very confident, and Urvil Patel has already started to walk back. However, the on-field umpires want to make sure and send it upstairs. UltraEdge shows no bat involved, and the replay shows that Patel's back foot is in the air when Rahul breaks the stumps. 

Axar Patel to Urvil Patel, OUT! STUMPED! That is brilliant bowling from Axar Patel. Quicker, just outside off, with a hint of turn. Urvil Patel moves a bit forward and looks to drive it, but misses it completely. The ball beats the outside edge and goes towards KL Rahul, who whips the bails off in a flash. The umpire goes upstairs to have a check. Nothing on the UltraEdge. The replay shows that Urvil Patel's back leg was in the air when the bails were off. Urvil Patel's cameo comes to an end. Chennai Super Kings are 45/2 after 6.3 overs now.

Axar Patel to Sanju Samson, Flatter, on middle and leg, Sanju Samson turns it to mid-wicket for a single.