Sanju Samson spoils the night for the Delhi Capitals (DC). The star keeper-batter of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remained not out for 87 off 52 and confirmed a crucial win for the team.
It was the Delhi Capitals’ 6th defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. In the last five matches, they suffered four defeats, confirming only one win. After the match, it was another harsh moment for the DC skipper Axar Patel as he had to hold the mic to explain the match, and where they lost their grip against the Chennai Super Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Batting first was the wrong call
The DC captain won the toss and decided to bat first, which might not have been the best decision for the team, as the surface was not easy to bat on at the start of the game. As Delhi kept losing wickets in regular intervals, they could manage to get only 155 runs on the scoreboard.
Later, the skipper himself admitted that because of the pitch, the batters face difficulties in rotating strike and protecting the wickets as well. In the second innings, CSK also lost a couple of early wickets in their run chase, but Sanju Samson was there in the middle to confirm the win.
Notable stats for Sanju Samson
Because of the unbeaten 87, he becomes one of the best players in an IPL edition to possess one of the best aggregates.
Highest aggregate for a player vs an opponent in an IPL edition (league stage)
209 – Virat Kohli vs GL in 2016 (100* & 109)
206 – KL Rahul vs MI in 2022 (103* & 103*)
202 – Sanju Samson vs DC in 2026 (115* & 87*)
196 – Chris Gayle vs PWI in 2013 (175* & 21)
193 – KL Rahul vs RCB in 2020 (132* & 61*)
Sanju Samson in IPL 2026
In wins: 5 inns, 362 runs, Avg: 181, SR: 178.32
In defeats: 5 innings, 40 runs, Avg: 8, SR: 108.1
Axar Patel explains why they lost against CSK
“Obviously, the way the wicket was playing in the first innings, I felt that yes, 155 was a good score. But since we were playing with eight batters, I felt we were about 10-15 runs short. (on the pitch) I feel it got a little better, but I think the difference was made by the set batter. When a batter is well set, it feels like there is nothing in the pitch, but I still feel there was something in it,” Axar Patel said after the match.
“For a new batter coming in, it was not easy. Yes, it wasn’t easy for new players because, you know, the length balls were holding up, sometimes staying low, and occasionally even bouncing after holding. So I feel it was very difficult for new batters. But when set batters were playing, it looked easier,” he added.
Read More: DC qualification scenario IPL 2026: Can DC still reach playoffs after loss against CSK?