Was Nitish Rana out hit-wicket? Viral dismissal in DC vs CSK match explained

A moment during the IPL 2026 match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings led to 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 played a shot towards backward square leg, where the fielder took the catch. At nearly the same time, the stumps behind him were seen disturbed, leading to discussion online.

Delhi Capitals, who were batting first, had already lost an early wicket at 29. Rana came in and started steadily but was dismissed in the 10th over by Noor Ahmad. His dismissal later became a talking point.

On that delivery, Rana attempted a sweep for a big shot but found a fielder near the boundary. He looked disappointed and walked off.

Soon after, a video clip went viral, showing that the bail appeared to come off before Rana made contact with the ball. This raised questions, but the on-field officials did not raise any issue at the time.

It was not ruled as a hit-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 had been heavy rain in the city, followed by strong winds. The conditions were noticeable during the first innings, and at one point, play was also stopped briefly due to the wind.

The wind affected players during the game, and it is likely that the bail was dislodged because of it.

As per the laws of cricket, a batter can only be given out hit-wicket if they themselves break the stumps while playing the ball or while setting off for a run. Since that did not happen in this case, the dismissal stood as a catch.

The incident looked unusual, but it did not qualify as a hit-wicket. Rana was out caught, and the movement of the stumps did not affect the decision.

In the match, Delhi Capitals, who chose to bat first on a surface that was not easy early on, 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 stayed not out on 87 off 52 balls, hitting seven fours and six sixes. He batted through the innings as CSK reached the target in 17.3 overs, improving their net run-rate.