Second consecutive win helped CSK consolidate their second position in the table Indian Premier League standings with 15 points from 12 games, one point behind table-toppers Gujarat Titans (16 points from 11 games).
As it happened: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals
After setting a competitive 168-run target, CSK bowlers took the lead matisha pathirana (3/37), restricting DC to 140 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.
It was the seventh win of the season for hosts CSK, while DC suffered their seventh defeat in 11 matches and remained at the bottom of the points table.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni punished Khaleel Ahmed and then employed his bowling resources to perfection as CSK took a big step towards the play-offs.
A pair of monstrous sixes in the talismanic skipper’s 9-ball-20 helped CSK post 167 for 8, at least 20 runs above-par on a difficult Chepauk track.
Overall Dhoni needed to hone his bowlers as Delhi Capitals were never in the hunt after their batting mainstay david warner (0), Phil Salt (17) and Mitch Marsh (5) were out by the start of the fourth over.
In the end, DC fell short by 27 runs and their struggle was real as the entire innings didn’t even hit 10 boundaries. DC batsmen hit only seven fours and four boundaries in the over.
Before pointing fingers at head coach Ricky Ponting and director of cricket Sourav Ganguly, there will be some talent scouts who should be held accountable for presenting the team with options who are unable to be the X-factor even at the domestic level.
The son of a former India player who is one of the talent scouts will have a lot to do.
Indian batsmen like Manish Pandey, Ripple Patel, Lalit Yadav or Aman Khan are not good enough to chase down a target easily at will and achieve such a difficult target easily.
two giants Ravindra Jadeja (1/19 in 4 overs) and Moeen Ali (0/16 in 4 overs) hammered the DC batsmen in the middle overs when Pandey and Riley Rossouw added 59 runs at less than a run-a-ball.
Pandey could have done better especially after running out Marsh but in his 16 season IPLHe hasn’t even won 10 games played for all the franchises.
Mathisha Pathirana (3/37 in 4 overs) cashed his yorker perfectly and sent the former India player packing.
Earlier the Capitals bowlers came to the fore, keeping the Super Kings batsmen down on a sluggish pitch before Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (21 off 16 balls) put the pressure on the DC bowlers at the back-end.
None of the CSK batsmen could move forward and Shivam Dube (25) was the top scorer. Ruturaj Gaikwad (24), Ambati Rayudu (23) and Ajinkya Rahane (21) scored 20 runs.
Electing to bat after skipper Dhoni won the toss, the home side had to fend off some fine bowling from the Capitals bowlers, especially left-arm spinner Akshar Patel (2/27). Mitchell Marsh (3/18) was the best bowler while Kuldeep Yadav (1/28) and Lalit Yadav (1/34) were the other wicket-takers.
In the 11th over, fast bowler Dubey hit the first six of the innings and Akshar Patel came into the stands. He hit two more before he was caught by skipper David Warner off Mitchell Marsh.
He made 25 (12 balls) and helped propel the CSK scoring rate which had slowed down due to some good bowling.
The second over bowled by Ishant Sharma scored 16 runs and Gaikwad hit three fours.
In the third over, Conway swung at Khaleel and the bowler thought he heard a nick. However, the Capitals did not review it and subsequent replays showed a faded lead.
Conway, however, could not make much of a ‘life’ as he was lbw by Axar Patel for 10 runs.
At the end of the Powerplay, CSK were 49 for 1.
Gaikwad was dismissed trying to accelerate, caught in the deep as Axar Patel continued to trouble the Super Kings.
Moeen Ali could not force the pace and was sent back by another spinner – Kuldeep Yadav – caught attempting to play a shot.
No six was hit by the CSK batsmen in the first 10 overs as the Capitals bowlers tried to put pressure on the run-scoring.
Ajinkya Rahane’s innings ended on 21 when Lalit Yadav took a brilliant return catch.
(With inputs from PTI)