Chennai Super Kings Made their mark with a 23-run win over Delhi Capitals in Match 18 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai in the 2026 Indian Premier League.
Put into bat, Super Kings scored 212/2 at the end of 20 overs thanks to Sanju Samson's brilliant unbeaten 115 off just 56 balls. He manipulated the field with ease and demonstrated the beauty of his batting. Ayush Mhatre supported Samson and scored 59 runs, before Shivam Dubey played a quick inning of 20 runs in 10 balls to take CSK to a great score.
The hosts continued that momentum into their second innings as they never allowed Delhi to settle down in their batting innings. He was brilliant in the field and kept taking wickets at crucial stages of the innings.
Jamie Overton took four wickets, while Anshul Kamboj took three wickets. Pathum Nissanka top-scored with 41 off 24, while Tristan Stubbs played a brilliant 60 off 38, but it was not enough as the Capitals were bowled out for 189. This was CSK's first win of the 2026 season, and it leaves Kolkata Knight Riders as the only winning team in this edition.
talking points
1) Sanju came in 'Chetan' style
sanju samsonHis trade with the Super Kings was one of the most talked about transfers in IPL history. After a series of low scores to start the IPL season, Samson finally announced himself to the Chepauk faithful with a brilliant inning of 115 runs. His innings, coming off just 56 balls, was filled with the trademark blend of power and smarts that is associated with his best innings.
With 15 fours and four sixes, he manipulated the field and displayed his wide range of shots, a trait he displayed during his amazing T20 World Cup campaign. Affectionately known as 'Chetan' (Malayalam for elder brother), CSK fans will be hoping that this is just the beginning for their new star player.
3) Mhatre becomes the first player to retire in IPL 2026
18-year-old Ayush Mhatre became the first batsman to be retired in IPL 2026. The Mumbai batsman scored his second half-century of the season. He was batting on 59 runs off 36 balls when he was declared out in favor of Shivam Dubey in the 18th over. The decision worked to the Super Kings' advantage, with Dubey's late fireworks helping them reach 212/2 at the end of their 20 overs, this would be a point of discussion as Mhatre was well set at that point. When he left, the young player also looked quite disappointed.
3) Is Ruturaj Gaikwad batting in the wrong position?
The Chennai Super Kings captain found success batting at No. 3 in his short 2025 campaign. He excelled in facing spinners and scoring runs when the ball got a little stale. In 2026, he has once again put himself forward for opening batting. His performance against the Capitals was poor and he scored 15 runs in 18 balls. He has not been able to make a mark with two single-digit scores and a highest score of 28. This raises the question whether his position is at the top of the order or a one-drop.
4) CSK clicked with the ball and in the field
Chennai Super Kings were disappointing with the ball in their first three matches, but against Delhi Capitals, they were right on the money. The Capitals were never able to take their innings forward due to regular wickets taken by the CSK bowlers. Jamie Overton led the way with figures of 4-0-18-4, bowling at pace and hitting the wicket hard, while Anshul Kamboj finished third with three wickets. He was also brilliant in the field, diving to stop runs and taking spectacular catches.
who said what
Akshar Patel, captain of Delhi Capitals
“I think we started well, but if we talk about chasing, after the powerplay we lost two or three wickets in quick succession, which broke the momentum. I think the difference in fielding was a game-changing moment for me. And if you look at it, whenever wickets fell, they fell in pairs, which made things very difficult. Wickets kept falling in bunches and this led to a decline in pace. I think the batsmen did a good job, but overall our fielding let us down, because if you look at it, chasing around 213-215 was quite possible. I would like to give credit to the bowlers, they did a great job restricting the opposition to around 215-217. It was a very good batting wicket. But as I said, if we had not dropped one or two catches in the field, the result could have been different. (Did the pitch get slower?) No, nothing really changed. I think it was difficult for him, probably because of the dew, and he bowled very well.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chennai Super Kings captain
“It feels good to finally get a win. It was a great performance at the start. We are batting really well batting first. This is a slow wicket and it was a good score. Sanju faced the opposition and even Ayush played well. Tonight was all about the bowlers. We don't have the X-factor in bowling, but we try to discuss how we can throw in a few extras. Try and use our length well.” That's something we can do. Even in the last game, we were on the back foot tonight. The Chennai fans are always with us, they always support us and enjoy the cricket.
Sanju Samson, Player of the Match
“Really means a lot. The trust they (CSK franchise) showed in me was a very responsible spirit that I needed to show and say we are still in the tournament. It's not easy to start in a different franchise but it never felt like that. It was like coming to a second home. We had just a 50-second meeting today (despite three defeats) – it goes back to the kind of person I am (smiles). I failed a lot. Failed a lot. It tells you how to come back, whether you have to work hard or change the game-plan. We have to see the ball coming out of the bowler's hand well. It was like that for Fleming for five years. How difficult it can be to lead. I just wanted to dedicate this (innings) to Fleming.”
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