A moment during the IPL 2026 match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings sparked confusion over Nitish Rana’s dismissal, with some on social media suggesting it could be a ‘hit-wicket’.
The incident took place on the third ball of the 10th over bowled by Noor Ahmad. Rana fired towards backward square leg, where the fielder caught the ball. Around the same time, the stumps behind him were disturbed, sparking an online discussion.
Batting first, Delhi Capitals had already lost an early wicket in the 29th over. Rana came in and started steadily but was dismissed by Noor Ahmad in the 10th over. His dismissal later became a topic of conversation.
On that pitch, Rana tried to sweep a big shot but found a defender near the boundary. He seemed disappointed and walked away.Shortly after, a video clip went viral showing that the bail appeared to come loose before Rana made contact with the ball. This raised questions, but officials on the field did not raise any issues at the time.
It was not considered a wicket and there was no indication that Sanju Samson had dislodged the bails. One possible reason discussed was the strong wind in Delhi, which could have caused the bail to fall.
Before the match, there was heavy rain in the city, followed by strong winds. The conditions became apparent during the early innings and at one point play was also briefly stopped due to wind.
The wind affected the players during the match, and it is likely that the bail came loose as a result.
According to the laws of cricket, a batsman can only be given a hit-wicket if he himself breaks the stumps while playing the ball or while going for a run. Since this did not happen in this case, the dismissal was a trap.
The incident seemed unusual, but it did not qualify as a hit. Rana was out and the movement of the stumps did not affect the decision.
In the match, Delhi Capitals, who elected to bat first on a surface that was not easy from the start, were restricted to 155 for seven.
Sanju Samson led the chase as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by eight wickets. Chasing 156, Samson was not out with 87 off 52 balls, hitting seven fours and six sixes. He batted throughout the innings as CSK reached the target in 17.3 overs, improving their net run rate.