Chennai Super Kings pulled off a convincing eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2026 clash in Delhi on Tuesday, with Sanju Samson steering the chase from start to finish. Delhi posted 155 for seven, but the CSK captain made the target look comfortable, staying unbeaten on 87 off 52 balls. Samson struck seven fours and cleared the ropes six times, and CSK got over the line in 17.3 overs while also improving their net run rate in the process.
Delhi Capitals had elected to bat first on a pitch that didn’t offer much ease at the beginning, and the innings reflected that early challenge. Akeal Hosein set the tone in the powerplay, keeping things tight as a left-arm spinner and ending with figures of 1 for 19. He also bowled 14 dot balls, putting pressure on Delhi’s batters and slowing their momentum at key stages. By the 11-over mark, the Capitals were struggling at 69 for five, needing a rescue partnership to put a defendable total on the board.
The recovery came through a sixth-wicket stand between Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi. Stubbs made 38 off 31 deliveries, while Rizvi remained unbeaten on 40 off 24, and together they added 65 runs. That partnership lifted Delhi to 155 for seven, leaving them with a target that was competitive but by no means guaranteed to hold once the chase began.
After the match, Delhi captain Axar Patel spoke about what went wrong and what he felt could have swung the contest. He said that missing Kuldeep Yadav as a bowling partner was a factor, noting that Kuldeep conceded 34 runs in three overs. Axar also pointed to batting as the lone bright spot, describing it as the team’s most positive aspect during the game.
On whether 155 was enough, Axar felt the score should have been more than just a fighting total. He explained that given how the wicket behaved in the first innings, Delhi believed they had put up a strong figure. However, he suggested their batting depth wasn’t fully utilised, stating that they effectively played with eight batters and were therefore short by roughly 10 to 15 runs.
Axar further commented on how the pitch looked after the innings changed. In his view, the wicket became better for the set batters, and that steadiness mattered. He added that when experienced batters spend time in the middle, the surface tends to play flatter, though he still believed there was something for the bowlers even as the chase developed.
Turning to conditions for newer players, the Delhi skipper said batting wasn’t straightforward early on because the ball was gripping and holding up on the surface. He acknowledged the difficulty faced by the newcomers, but stressed that once a batter gets settled, they can take control of the contest. As an example, Axar highlighted Samson’s innings, which he credited for showing exactly how a set batter can turn the chase decisively.
