Last Updated on April 12, 2026 by Naveen Saini
Chennai Super Kings secured their first victory of IPL 2026 by beating Delhi Capitals by 23 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday
The query of changing gloves for Delhi Capitals batter Tristan Stubbs was denied by fourth umpire Anish Sahasrabudhe and Nitish Rana of Delhi Capitals got into a heated exchange with him for which the 19th over was almost stopped due to the controversy.
According to ESPN cricinfo, Nitish Rana has been penalized 25% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breach of IPL Code of Conduct (Article 2.3) which deals with the use of an audible obscenity during a match, the IPL has confirmed after the match. Rana has admitted to the offense and agreed to the match referee’s sanction.
The Incident
In the 19th over, with DC needing 32 runs off 12 balls, Stubbs asked for a change of gloves. His gloves were so damp with sweat that he thought a change was necessary to enable him to hold the ball and perform better. The fourth umpire declined to grant the request.
In a very heated manner, Rana, who was in the dugout since he was not part of the playing XI this match, came out to the fourth umpire and said that besides other things, playing with wet gloves is a safety issue. After the verbal exchange, Rana allegedly uttered profanities that were audible to all the people present there besides the four umpires.
After the controversy settled, Stubbs continued batting but was caught at point off Jamie Overton attempting a quick single. He returned to the dugout visibly frustrated, throwing his bat reflecting the tension DC were under throughout the chase.
Match Summary
CSK batting was led by Sanju Samson who scored 115 not out off 56 balls, which was also his 4th IPL century. Ayush Mhatre made 59 of 36 balls and the two shared a partnership of 113 for the second wicket. CSK was 212 for 2 at the end of their innings.
DC spinners accomplished the feat of dismissing 8 out of the 10 CSK batsmen. And, in reply, DC openers KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka had a partnership of 61 runs. Nissanka struck 41 off 24 balls and then got out. Stubbs was DC top-scorer with 60 off 38 balls but he was hardly supported by the rest of the team. Overton had figures of 4-18 while Anshul Kamboj took 3 wickets for 35 runs as DC were all out for 189 in 20 overs.
Also Read: Thunder in 30 Balls: The Fastest Centuries in IPL History
Other Penalties
CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was penalised 12 lakhs for slow over-rate which is the first time they have committed this offence this season as per Article 2.22 of the IPL Code of Conduct. He became the third captain after Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill and Punjab Kings’ Shreyas Iyer to have been fined for slow over-rate in IPL 2026. Iyer was fined twice already this season for the same offence.
Rana was given the axe from the DC playing XI after he made scores of 15, 0 and 5 in his first three matches. He is yet to make any contribution to the team’s campaign this season.
Standings
With this victory, CSK has climbed to the ninth spot in the 2026 IPL table having recorded one win and suffered three losses. Delhi Capitals are holding the fourth position in the table with two wins and two losses.
