New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s commanding 87 not out off 52 balls steered Chennai Super Kings to a big eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals and jumped to ten points in match 48 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The win keeps five-time winners CSK in sixth place, but they are now just two points adrift of the crowded top five. On a sticky pitch offering grip and turn, Akeal Hosein (1-19) and Noor Ahmad (2-22) set the tone to keep DC to 155/7. Samson ensured the chase was anchored with composure and class by hitting seven fours and six maximums to take CSK home with 15 balls to spare.

What stood out was not just Samson’s authority on pitch easing out, apart from sharing an unbroken 114-run stand off 66 balls with Kartik Sharma, who hit an impressive 41 not out off 31 balls, to keep DC’s bowlers under pressure and pick two crucial points for CSK.

The visitors began their chase of 156 with patience, as Samson exquisitely lofted Axar Patel for six, while Ruturaj Gaikwad was lucky to have an outside edge off Mitchell Starc to get four. DC brought in their big guns – Axar, Mitchell Starc, and Lungi Ngidi – quickly in a bid to get wickets, but didn’t get any breakthrough. The breakthrough eventually came in the fourth over when a struggling Gaikwad flicked to deep square leg off Ngidi.

Boundaries were scarce until Urvil Patel lit up the innings with two towering sixes off Ngidi before closing Power-play at 44/1. But Urvil’s aggression was ended by Axar, who got one to grip and turn, which the batter missed and was stumped swiftly by KL Rahul.

With Kartik Sharma joining Samson, CSK’s chase began to move into calmer waters, as signs emerged of the pitch easing. After Kartik pulled Axar for four, Samson whacked a poor short ball from Kuldeep Yadav for six. When T Natarajan came in, Samson used his wrists and feet well to club him for fours over long-off and extra cover.

After Kartik lofted Kuldeep inside out over deep extra cover for six, Samson unleashed carnage on him – a floaty leg‑break launched high to the second tier at long‑on and then pulling a short ball disdainfully over deep midwicket. With pressure mounting, Kuldeep went flatter and quicker down leg, only for Samson to paddle him fine for four.

By the time Samson pushed a flighted ball to long‑off, he raised his fifty off 32 balls, as the crowd buzzed with chants of ‘CSK, CSK’. Starc’s return brought no respite as Samson leaned into a drive on an overpitched ball and then threw his bat in the channel outside off-stump to beat backward point and pick consecutive boundaries.

Samson’s surge continued as he dismantled Natarajan’s variations with a mix of timing and brute force. On the short ball, Samson rocked back to cleanly pull over square leg for six, before lofting a slower ball over long-off for six and swiping hard through mid-wicket for four.

The crowd was left in awe when Samson nailed the cover drive off Ngidi for four, while Kartik brought out paddle and drive to get his boundaries. The duo then knocked off the remaining runs easily to give CSK another clinical victory.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 155/7 in 20 overs (Sameer Rizvi 40 not out, Tristan Stubbs 38; Noor Ahmad 2-22, Jamie Overton 1-5) lost to Chennai Super Kings 159/2 in 17.3 overs (Sanju Samson 87 not out, Kartik Sharma 41 not out; Axar Patel 1-25, Lungi Ngidi 1-30) by eight wickets

–IANS

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