Delhi Capitals' IPL 2023 season looks all but over after the team suffered a 27 run loss to Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Wednesday night. The loss means Delhi remain at the bottom of the IPL points table with 8 points from 10 matches, while CSK are placed second with 13 points from 11 outings.
Earlier, skipper MS Dhoni's late cameo (20 off 9) guided Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a competitive total of 167/8. DC spinners were at their best as they kept the CSK batters at bay with six batters crossing 20 and the highest individual score was 25. But Dhoni's crucial cameo ensured CSK finished with a fighting total.
In reply, Delhi got off to a dismal start as they lost their openers in the Powerplay. Then, Riley Rossouw and Pandey steadied the ship and built a 59-run stand. But CSK bowlers maintained the stranglehold on the Capital batters to restrict them to 140/8 and notched their seventh win of the tournament.
MS Dhoni Won The Toss, Elected to Bat
Opting to bat first, CSK lost the in-form opener Devon Conway early in the Powerplay. It was Axar Patel who got the big fish for lbw. Conway went for the slog sweep but missed it completely and ended up losing his wicket.
Ajinkya Rahane, who came next, started off with two boundaries and Gaikwad played an aggressive pull shot on the front foot for a boundary in the next over as CSK posted 49/1 at the end of the Power-play.
Axar delivered another blow to CSK as he got rid of Gaikwad in the next over. The batter played a lofted drive towards long off but did not get the desired timing and Aman Khan ran in to take a good catch.
Kuldeep Yadav struck in the 10th over to dismiss Moeen Ali. The spinner pushed it wider after seeing the batter come down. Moeen got a thick outside edge which went straight to the fielder at backward point and CSK were reduced to 66-3 halfway through the innings.
After going boundary less for four overs, Shivam Dube broke the shackles with a monster hit over mid-wicket and got the maximum. The next over Lalit Yadav caught & bowled Rahane to pile up further miseries on CSK.
Rahane came down the track and drilled it low and flat to the right of Yadav, who dived and took a superb low catch with his right hand and ensured the ball did not touch the ground as he landed.
Dube and Ambati Rayudu hit the foot on paddle in the 13th over to turn the momentum. The former started off with two successive maximums and Rayudu followed up with a boundary and a dot ball later ended the over with a massive six, collecting 23 runs off the over and CSK crossed the 100-run mark.
When Dube was looking dangerous, Mitchell Marsh removed him on a slower back of a length delivery and half of the Chennai side was back to the pavilion.
Couple of overs later, Khaleel Ahmed removed Rayudu, who went to sweep it from wide outside off straight to long-on where Ripal Patel pouched it nicely as CSK stumbled further. Then the Chepauk crowd went mad and welcomed Dhoni to the crease with a loud cheer.
Jadeja came down the track and lofted clean and straight down the ground for a maximum in the 18th over and survived a run-out on the next delivery while coming for second.
In the penultimate over of the innings bowled by Khaleel, Dhoni pulled the ball over midwicket for six. He followed it up with a boundary and lofted it back over his head for a flat six, taking 21 off the over and CSK reached 160-6.
Jadeja began the last over well with a boundary, the next he miscued it and handed an easy catch to the long-on fielder, ending a crucial 38-run partnership. A dot ball and a single later, Marsh put an end to Dhoni's cameo as CSK eventually posted 167/8 in 20 overs.
Delhi's Chase
Chasing 170, Delhi Capitals suffered early blows as Deepak Chahar struck in the very first over to remove skipper David Warner for a second ball duck. Phil Salt flicked away to the deep backward square for a boundary and stepped down and played a pull shot for a six in the second over to pump up the start.
He continued with his hit as he hammered Chahar for a six but the pacer was quick to bounce on the next delivery and removed the Salt for 17. DC lost both the openers within three overs.
The next over Mitchell Marsh and Manish Pandey got a huge mix up between the wickets while looking for a single. Ajinkya Rahane smartly ran to the bowler's end and flicked the bails off and March got run out. DC were reeling 27-3 in four overs.
Riley Rossouw and Pandey took a couple of boundaries and maximum to take the Powerplay score to 47-3.
CSK bowlers were building pressure with their clinical bowling with just two big hits coming in the next four overs. The duo of Rossouw and Pandey steadied the innings as they kept rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard reeling.
The duo built a 59-run stand, which Matheesha Pathirana broke by dismissing Pandey for 27. The latter greeted Pathirana with a six in the 13th over but the pacer had a quick comeback as he got the former for lbw on the last ball of the over.
An over later, Jadeja came into the attack and got the set batter Rossouw, who sat on a knee to go for a slog sweep but ended up mis-hitting to long-on where Pathirana took a safe catch.
With the asking run-rate going over 18 runs per over, Axar Patel went for few big hits to release some pressure but was removed in the 18th over as Pathirana deceived him with a slower delivery.
When 48 was needed in 12 balls, Tushar Deshpande bowled a brilliant 19th over, conceding just five runs. Also, DC lost Ripal Patel through runout and the chase almost came to an end as the visitors needed 43 off the 6 balls to win.
Lalit Yadav hammered Pathirana for three boundaries in the final over and pacer cleaned up Yadav on the penultimate delivery as CSK wrapped up a 27-run win.
(With inputs from IANS)
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