Chennai beats Delhi by 8 wickets, strengthen playoff push

KATHMANDU: In the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings delivered a dominant performance, defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in Tuesday night’s clash in Delhi.

Chasing a modest target of 156, Chennai comfortably reached 159/2 in just 17.3 overs, with 15 balls to spare.

The chase was anchored by a brilliant unbeaten 87 off 52 balls from Sanju Samson, who accelerated after a cautious start to take control of the match. He found solid support from Kartik Sharma, who contributed 41 off 31 balls in a match-winning partnership.

Earlier, Delhi posted 155/7 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first. However, Chennai’s disciplined spin attack kept the scoring in check.

Akeal Hosein returned economical figures of 1/19 in four overs, while Noor Ahmad claimed two wickets for 22 runs.

Delhi struggled for momentum early on, managing just 37/2 at the end of the powerplay. Openers KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka failed to convert their starts, falling cheaply under pressure. Captain Axar Patel continued his poor run of form, unable to make a significant impact.

A brief recovery came through Sameer Rizvi (40) and Tristan Stubbs (38), who added 65 runs for the middle order, but Chennai’s tight bowling ensured Delhi never broke free.

In reply, Chennai lost Ruturaj Gaikwad early, dismissed cheaply by Lungi Ngidi. But Samson’s composed innings turned the tide.

He reached his half-century in just 10 balls after a steady start and dominated the spinners, particularly targeting Kuldeep Yadav with aggressive stroke play.