CSK beat DC by 8 wickets in IPL 2026 Match 48 as Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 87 guides a comfortable chase after Delhi Capitals post 155/7 at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Chennai Super Kings (Photo: IANS/Qamar Sibtain)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) outclassed Delhi Capitals (DC) by eight wickets in Match 48 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, chasing down a modest target of 156 with 15 balls to spare on Tuesday.
With this win, CSK completed a season double over DC and strengthened their playoff push, moving to 10 points, while Delhi’s struggles continued, especially at home.
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After winning the toss and opting to bat, DC once again failed to capitalise on the advantage, managing 155/7 on a two-paced surface that assisted both spinners and seamers.
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The innings began on a positive note, with Pathum Nissanka finding early boundaries and KL Rahul looking fluent. However, CSK quickly tightened their grip. Mukesh Choudhary dismissed Nissanka with a clever change of pace, while Akeal Hosein struck a crucial blow by removing Rahul, leaving DC at 37/2 at the end of the powerplay.
The middle order collapse followed swiftly. Karun Nair fell attempting an aggressive sweep, while Noor Ahmad turned the game decisively by dismissing Nitish Rana soon after. Axar Patel’s lean run continued as he mistimed a drive, reducing DC to 69/5 in 11 overs.
Just when another sub-par total looked inevitable, Tristan Stubbs and impact substitute Sameer Rizvi staged a recovery. Stubbs counter-attacked with a brisk 38 off 31 balls, taking advantage of a dropped chance, while Rizvi impressed with an unbeaten 40 off 24 deliveries.
The duo stitched together a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket, helping DC cross the 150-mark. However, Jamie Overton broke the partnership in the 19th over, dismissing Stubbs, while a late cameo from Ashutosh Sharma added some quick runs before he was run out.
CSK’s bowling unit delivered a collective performance, with Noor Ahmad (2/22) leading the charge, while Hosein, Gurjapneet Singh, Overton, and Choudhary picked up a wicket each.
In response, CSK never looked under pressure despite losing early wickets. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad departed cheaply, caught off Lungi Ngidi, while Urvil Patel added a quick 17 before being stumped by KL Rahul off Axar Patel.
From there, Sanju Samson took complete control of the chase. The wicketkeeper-batter anchored the innings brilliantly, scoring an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls, mixing calculated aggression with composure.
He found solid support in Kartik Sharma, who remained unbeaten on 41 off 31 balls. The pair stitched together a match-winning century partnership, ensuring there were no further hiccups in the chase.
Samson brought up his half-century in 32 balls and finished the game in style, underlining his dominance over DC this season after his earlier century in the reverse fixture.
Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Lungi Ngidi, Karun Nair
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Akeal Hosein, Gurjapneet Singh
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