Chennai Super Kings delivered a clinical performance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in their IPL 2026 clash. After restricting DC to 155/7, CSK chased down the target comfortably, powered by a composed unbeaten 87 from Sanju Samson that kept their playoff hopes alive.
Samson anchored the innings with maturity, building a match-winning unbeaten partnership with Kartik Sharma, who contributed a steady 41*. The duo stitched together a 114-run stand, guiding CSK home with 15 balls to spare and ensuring there were no late hiccups in the chase.
Reflecting on his innings, Sanju Samson highlighted that calmness has always been a part of his approach. “To be very honest, I am always like this. The biggest change is you are seeing me more in the middle now, so I think that’s why people are saying he’s very calm,” he said. “Even when I am sitting out, I am just very calm actually. So when I am batting, there is a little more happening, so everyone is watching that yes, this guy is a little more calm.”
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When asked about not pushing for a century, Samson made it clear that team success came first.
Emotional Sanju Samson in the post-match on MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad:🎙️
“Before coming to CSK, I had my doubts about what was going to happen because I had never played for any other team except RR. But after joining CSK, I never missed them, because the way Dhoni and… pic.twitter.com/eSzree2b7l
— Abhishek Kumar (@Abhishek060722) May 5, 2026
“I had to be a bit too selfish to get that. So I thought let’s win the game and the other partner was batting really well,” he explained. “So I didn’t want to tell him ‘take a single, I will get my 100.’ So I didn’t say that. I think coming not out and finishing the game gives better satisfaction,” he added.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals struggled to build momentum after opting to bat. Early dismissals of Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul put them on the back foot, while Noor Ahmad removed Karun Nair and Nitish Rana in quick succession. Axar Patel’s poor run continued with another low score, leaving DC in deep trouble.
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Tristan Stubbs (38) and Sameer Rizvi (40*) attempted a recovery, but 155 proved insufficient. CSK briefly lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early in the chase, but Urvil Patel’s quick cameo and the Samson-Kartik partnership sealed a dominant win, pushing Chennai to 10 points while Delhi slipped further behind.
