Image: Sanju Samson earns social media praise after match winning 87 against Delhi / © India Today
Social Media has been buzzing after the Chennai Super Kings produced a dominant all-round show to defeat the Delhi Capitals by 8 wickets in Match 48 of IPL 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Chasing a target of 156, CSK made light work of the total, reaching 159/2 in just 17.3 overs and boosting their net run rate significantly.
The star of the night was Sanju Samson, who stayed unbeaten on 87 from 52 balls. His innings was full of control and aggression, featuring 7 fours and 6 sixes. Samson paced the chase perfectly, first settling in before attacking the Delhi bowlers in the middle and death overs. Kartik Sharma also played an important role with a steady 41, building a match-winning partnership with Samson after CSK lost 2 early wickets.
Earlier, the Delhi Capitals had a poor start after choosing to bat first. Pathum Nissanka scored 19, while KL Rahul managed only 12 before falling to Akeal Hosein. Delhi slipped badly to 69/5 in 11 overs after the wickets of Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, and Axar Patel. Noor Ahmad was impressive for CSK, picking up 2 wickets and keeping the middle order under pressure. Just when Delhi looked set for a below-par total, Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi rescued the innings. Stubbs scored 38 from 31 balls, while Rizvi remained unbeaten on 40 from 24 deliveries.
Their 65-run stand for the 6th wicket helped DC recover to 155/7 in 20 overs, including 20 runs from the final over. However, that total proved insufficient on a dewy evening. CSK’s calm batting display and Samson’s classy knock ensured a comfortable victory. After the loss, DC captain Axar Patel admitted his side was around 10 to 15 runs short and said there is now no room for error, with Delhi needing to win all 5 of their remaining league matches.