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- DC vs CSK Highlights, IPL 2026: Sanju Samson shines with unbeaten 87 as Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets
DC vs CSK Highlights, IPL 2026: Sanju Samson shines with unbeaten 87 as Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets
Delhi Capitals once again struggled badly with the bat at home. After electing to bat first, they lost wickets regularly on a pitch that offered grip and uneven bounce. Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul and Axar Patel all failed to make significant contributions as CSK’s bowlers kept tightening the pressure.
Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad were especially impressive through the middle overs, while Mukesh Choudhary mixed his pace cleverly. Delhi slipped to 69/5 before Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi rescued the innings with a valuable partnership. Stubbs made 38 while Rizvi remained unbeaten on 40 to help DC reach 155/7.
In reply, CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early, but Samson ensured there were no further problems. He paced the chase smartly, beginning cautiously before accelerating once he got set. Kartik Sharma supported him well with an unbeaten 41 as the pair added 114 runs for the third wicket.
The victory continued Chennai’s resurgence after a poor start to the season. They now have 10 points from 10 matches and remain firmly in the playoff race.
Delhi, on the other hand, are under severe pressure with only four wins in 10 games and very little margin for error in the remaining league matches.partnership helped Delhi cross 150, but the total still appeared below par considering the importance of the match.
Anshul Kamboj to Karun Nair, Beauty of a delivery! Right in the channel, around off, shaping a hint away from the right-hander. Karun Nair looks to block this off his front foot but gets beaten on the outside edge.
Anshul Kamboj to Karun Nair, A tad too full, on middle and off, Karun Nair flicks this but doesn't time this well enough. Nair does enough to flick this in the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a couple.
Anshul Kamboj to Karun Nair, On a length, around middle and off, Karun Nair pushes this straight to mid on.
CSK bossed the Powerplay. DC finish at 37/2 - this is their third lowest Powerplay score this season, informs Ian Bishop on air.
- Nitish Rana 5 (4)
- Karun Nair 1 (4)
Akeal Hosein to Nitish Rana, Floated full and around off, Nitish Rana gets on top of the bounce and blocks this to point for a dot.
Akeal Hosein to Karun Nair, Short of a length, on middle and off. Karun Nair rocks back inside the crease and works this to the right of mid on for a single.
Akeal Hosein to Karun Nair, Quicker and flatter around off, Karun Nair dabs this to point for no run.
Akeal Hosein to Karun Nair, Full and on off, Nair steps across and flicks this to mid-wicket yet again.
Akeal Hosein to Karun Nair, Floated up, full and on leg. That is flicked away but straight to the mid-wicket fielder.
A shake of the head from KL Rahul as he trudges off. Karun Nair is the new man in.
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, OUT! CAUGHT! Akeal Hosein strikes on his return to the attack. Flighted around off, KL Rahul dances down the track and looks to go for a big one. The ball grips and turns away from the batter. Rahul still goes through the stroke and gets it miscued off the cue end. It is skied towards cover, where Ruturaj Gaikwad moves well to his right and takes a good catch with a strong wind blowing across the ground.
Will Mukesh Choudhary bowl one more over in the Powerplay? Nope. Akeal Hosein is back with a change of ends.
- Nitish Rana 5 (3)
- KL Rahul 12 (12)
Anshul Kamboj to Nitish Rana, Good length, around off, Nitish Rana dabs this to backward point for a dot to end the over.
Anshul Kamboj to Nitish Rana, FOUR! DRIVEN AWAY! Pitched-up delivery, around off, Nitish Rana presses onto his front foot, gets right on top of it and drives this all along the ground through the left of the fielder at cover for a boundary.
Anshul Kamboj to KL Rahul, Hard length, on top of off, KL Rahul hacks this through square leg and takes a run.
Anshul Kamboj to KL Rahul, Full and on middle and leg, KL Rahul flicks this gorgeously but straight to the fielder inside the circle at mid-wicket.
Anshul Kamboj to Nitish Rana, Short and on off, Nitish Rana leans back and plays the square cut to the left of Jamie Overton at deep point. Takes a single.
Anshul Kamboj to KL Rahul, Good length, on middle and off, KL Rahul flicks this from the inside half of his bat through the deep mid-wicket region for a single.
CSK land the first blow. Nitish Rana walks in at number 3. There is a change in bowling as Anshul Kamboj comes on. With 17 wickets to his name, he is the joint-highest wicket-taker this season alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
- Pathum Nissanka 19 (15)
- KL Rahul 10 (9)
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, OUT! TAKEN! Mukesh Choudhary draws first blood! He hits the length hard and on off, takes pace off this time, bowling at 122.7 kph. Pathum Nissanka stays back and looks to muscle it down the ground, but goes through the shot early and his bat turns in his hands as well. He ends up spooning it towards mid on, where Dewald Brevis moves backwards and takes a good reverse cup catch. Nissanka is frustrated with himself as he walks back. DC are 29/1.
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, An appeal for caught behind, but nothing doing! A wide yorker, outside off, angling away. Pathum Nissanka throws his bat at it, but fails to connect as Sanju Samson gathers it behind the stumps. There is a sound, but it is more from the bat hitting the ground. Gaikwad does not take the review, and UltraEdge later on also confirms no bat is involved.
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, SIX! That is a shot and a half! Mukesh Choudhary overcorrects and serves this full, on middle and off. Pathum Nissanka is anticipating that and gets down and across to scoop it over the fine leg fence for a biggie.
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! Up and over! Back of a length and outside off again. This time, Pathum Nissanka stands still, extends his arms and smacks it over extra covers for a boundary.
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, Short of a length and outside off, angling it away, Pathum Nissanka backs away and slashes hard but gets nowhere near the ball. Too many dot balls creeping in already for DC!
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, Fuller delivery, on off, Pathum Nissanka has a hoick across the line but inside-edges it towards mid-wicket.
- KL Rahul 10 (9)
- Pathum Nissanka 9 (9)
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, FOUR! Spoils the over a bit but still a good one for CSK! Akeal Hosein goes short again and just outside off. KL Rahul moves on the back foot quickly and cuts it away past point for a boundary.
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, Drops it short and around off, turns it away as well, KL Rahul stays back and punches it towards extra cover.
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, Slows it up, full and on middle, KL Rahul steps across and pushes it back to the bowler.
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, Flatter, full and on middle, angles in again. KL Rahul makes some room and drives it firmly but straight to cover.
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, Arm ball, full and angling into the leg side, Pathum Nissanka knocks it towards mid on and scampers across for a quick run.
Akeal Hosein to KL Rahul, Shorter in length and around off, KL Rahul moves back and swats it down to long off for a single.
- Pathum Nissanka 8 (8)
- KL Rahul 5 (4)
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, Much fuller and on off, Pathum Nissanka drills it straight to mid off. A good comeback from Mukesh Choudhary after getting hit for a boundary.
Mukesh Choudhary to Pathum Nissanka, Hard length and on off, shapes in, Pathum Nissanka stabs it out towards short cover.
Mukesh Choudhary to KL Rahul, Back of a length and on off, nips back in a bit, KL Rahul stays back to dab it down towards point but gets an inside edge onto his pads and the ball drops on the pitch. Pathum Nissanka calls him for the run, and Rahul responds. He also collides with the bowler but makes his ground. Jamie Overton is suggesting to the umpire that Rahul blocked the bowler from getting to the ball, but KL never changed his direction, and the umpire is in agreement with the batter here.
Mukesh Choudhary to KL Rahul, Fuller in length and on middle, shapes in a touch, KL Rahul tucks it off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket.
Mukesh Choudhary to KL Rahul, FOUR! KL Rahul gets off the mark in fine fashion! A nice juicy half-volley, outside off. Rahul is not going to miss out on those. He leans onto his drive and creams it through covers for a boundary.
Mukesh Choudhary to KL Rahul, Mukesh Choudhary begins with a very full delivery, almost in the blockhole, just around off. KL Rahul jams it out to the off side.
It will be pace from the other end. Here is Mukesh Choudhary. Will the left-arm quick get any swing?
- Pathum Nissanka 8 (6)
- KL Rahul 0 (0)
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, Drops it short, on off, Pathum Nissanka pats it down to mid on. 8 runs off the first over!
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! A bit streaky! Flatter, full and around off, angles in a bit. Pathum Nissanka backs away to steer it away, but gets a thick outside edge that races past short third for another boundary.
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, Big shout for LBW, but turned down! Akeal Hosein slows it up, lands this short and on middle and leg, turns away a bit. Pathum Nissanka stays back and looks to clip it to the leg side but misses and gets hit high on the back pad. The Ball Tracking later shows that the ball did pitch in line, but it would have gone over the leg pole. A wise decision by CSK not to review.
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, Tossed up, full and on middle, Pathum Nissanka strides out and pushes it towards short cover.
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, Slightly shorter in length, on off, turns away a bit, Pathum Nissanka stays back and punches it to cover.
Akeal Hosein to Pathum Nissanka, FOUR! DC are underway in style! Akeal Hosein starts with a floater, full and on middle and leg. Pathum Nissanka gets down on his knee and nails the sweep along the carpet past square leg for a boundary.
The bell has been rung, and it is time to get the show on the road in Delhi. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis are leading the talk in the CSK huddle. Out walk the two DC openers, Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul. Chennai are starting with spin in the form of Akeal Hosein. Nissanka will face the first ball. A slip in place. Let's go...
While CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said, "We were looking to bowl first, but the pitch looks a bit dry, so I don’t think it will change much. So batting or bowling first won’t make much difference. (On the team atmosphere) There have been some positive signs in the last 2–3 matches. Even though we haven’t won every game, there are good positives. Since the first three matches of the tournament, we’ve improved a lot in all departments. Our bowling has been doing really well, and the batting is slowly coming together. We just want to carry that momentum into the last phase of the tournament. We’re really happy coming into this game, especially after the last one. But this is a new game, so we want to start fresh and start well. It’s also great to see youngsters getting opportunities and stepping up. It’s a good sign for the franchise - they are repaying the faith shown by the management. Still a long way to go."
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Ashutosh Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan
Delhi Capitals Impact subs: Vipraj Nigam, Sameer Rizvi, Abishek Porel, Auqib Nabi Dar, David Miller
Axar admitted the match carries huge importance in the playoff race but insisted the team is trying not to focus too much on the points table. Delhi and Chennai both entered the game with eight points from nine matches, making this a vital contest for both sides.
“The way the tournament is going, it’s a very important match. But at the same time, it’s more important to focus on how you’re playing. You can’t think too much about points - if you do, you put extra pressure on yourself,” Axar said.
Delhi made one change, bringing back Lungi Ngidi in place of Kyle Jamieson. Axar also admitted fielding has cost the Capitals this season, saying better catching could have put them in a much stronger position in the standings.
Gaikwad sounded positive about the team’s recent progress despite inconsistent results. He highlighted improvements in both batting and bowling over the last few matches and praised the young players stepping up under pressure.
“There have been some positive signs in the last 2–3 matches. Even though we haven’t won every game, there are good positives. Since the first three matches of the tournament, we’ve improved a lot in all departments,” Gaikwad said at the toss.
The CSK skipper also stressed the importance of carrying momentum into the final stretch of the season. With players like Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad and Jamie Overton in the XI, Chennai will hope their overseas core delivers in what is effectively a must-win game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh
Chennai Super Kings Impact Subs: Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Akash Madhwal, Sarfaraz Khan
Impact subs nominated by CSK - Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Akash Madhwal and Sarfaraz Khan.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein (In for Prashant Veer), Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary and Gurjapneet Singh (In for Ramakrishna Ghosh).
The Delhi pitch was expected to favour bowlers, especially spinners, and CSK’s attack made full use of those conditions in the first innings. Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad controlled the middle overs brilliantly while Mukesh Choudhary’s slower deliveries created early pressure. Delhi never managed to recover from a shaky start after losing Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul cheaply.
The home side stumbled to 69/5 before Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi provided resistance. Stubbs scored 38 while Rizvi added an unbeaten 40 off 24 balls, helping Delhi post 155/7 after looking in danger of another collapse. However, the total always appeared slightly below par once the surface eased under lights.
CSK’s chase began cautiously. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad fell early, while Urvil Patel played a brief attacking cameo before Axar Patel removed him. But from there, Samson completely controlled proceedings. He started carefully, assessing the conditions before opening up against both spin and pace in the second half of the innings.
Kartik Sharma played the perfect supporting role with an unbeaten 41, rotating strike smartly and punishing loose deliveries whenever needed. Together, the duo stitched an unbeaten 114-run partnership that sealed the game comfortably for Chennai.
After the match, Samson admitted he thought briefly about his century but preferred finishing the chase professionally rather than slowing down for personal milestones. His innings once again highlighted his importance to CSK this season, particularly in victories.
The win takes Chennai to 10 points from 10 matches and keeps them firmly alive in the playoff race. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, slipped to their sixth defeat in 10 games and are now staring at a must-win situation heading into the final stretch of the tournament.
