Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner Akeal Hosein played a key role in his team’s dominant eight-wicket IPL 2026 win over Delhi Capitals (DC) on Tuesday night, and opined on his strategy behind dismissing KL Rahul and his approach to bowling in the powerplay as well.

“Changing ends wasn’t my call; it was the skipper’s call. But you have to be open-minded and ready for any challenge. Some grounds have bigger sides, some smaller, but sticking to the plan is key,” said Hosein during the post-match press conference. “I wanted to force KL Rahul to hit to my boundary fielders. With a long-off and mid-wicket in place, I knew if he had to score boundaries, he would need to clear those areas. Fortunately, he got caught trying to go over long-off, which worked well for me.”

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He also shared his mindset while bowling in the powerplay, a phase where he believes discipline is tough.

“You need both mental toughness and skill, especially on pitches that are not conducive to spin. It’s all about being disciplined. With only two fielders out in the power play, you cannot afford to be too greedy or go searching for wickets. Sticking to the plan and bowling economically is key,” Hosein said.

However, Akeal Hosein’s disciplined bowling during the powerplay and his strategy against KL Rahul played an important role in CSK’s control over the match. In four overs, he conceded 19 runs and took the massive wicket of DC opener Rahul as well.