digvesh rathi ended Sanju Samson’s innings on the fourth ball of the fourth over in the second innings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with the opener out for 28 off 14. The wicket arrived after Samson had already banked a couple of hundreds in IPL 2026, and it pulled one of CSK’s biggest threats out of the chase early.
MA Chidambaram Stadium Spell
Rathi bowled Samson out, dismantling the stumps rather than settling for a simple chance in the field. CSK lost its first batter for only 45 runs, so the dismissal came before the innings had built much momentum.
That is the part CSK had to absorb immediately: a batter described as one of Lucknow Super Giants’ biggest problems was gone after 14 balls, and the margin between a brisk start and a runaway chase narrowed fast. In a match where CSK were in tremendous form, Rathi’s strike altered the shape of the innings before the middle overs could settle.
Samson’s 28 off 14
Samson reached 28 from 14 deliveries, but the number that sticks is how quickly Rathi got through him on the fourth ball of the fourth over. The opener had already produced a couple of hundreds in IPL 2026, so this was not a case of an out-of-form batter being exposed.
For LSG, that made the wicket more than a routine breakthrough. Rathi removed a scorer with proven ceiling in IPL 2026, and he did it by taking the stumps out of play at a point when CSK still had enough batting left to make the chase dangerous.
Rathi’s value in the chase
The practical effect for CSK was simple: they lost a set batter before the innings had developed, and the scoreboard still read just 45 when the first wicket fell. That left less room for error against a spinner who had already done the job on a key opener in the second innings.
For LSG, the next pressure point was to keep that opening crack from widening. Rathi had already delivered the key dismissal, and CSK had to rebuild without the player they had leaned on for early acceleration.
