Chennai Super Kings defeat Delhi Capitals by 27 runs to keep Gujarat Titans alert at the top

Delhi Capitals‘ hope for playoff qualification was further hammered as they lost a crucial game against Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs in the 55th match of the Indian Premier League 2023 on Wednesday. 

MS Dhoni won the toss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and elected to bat first at another spin-favored surface. Ambai Rayudu started in his 200th IPL game in the place of young pacer Matheesha Pathirana while Delhi added spin all-rounder Lalit Yadav to their playing XI in the place of pacer Mukesh Kumar.

In-form openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway managed to give CSK another good start but the duo clearly struggled for big shots as the pitch turned slow very quickly. Axar Patel gave Delhi an opening with Conway’s valuable wicket in the fifth over with 32 runs on the scoreboard. 

The veteran Ajinkya Rahane joined Gaikwad in the middle and the duo rotated strike well to keep the run rate above eight. Gaikwad scored 24 off 18 with the help of four fours before getting caught out at long-off on Axar’s delivery in the seventh over. After losing both the openers, Chennai’s batters were pushed on backfoot to defend against Delhi’s effective spin attack.

Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Moeen Ali in the tenth over who scored just seven runs after facing 12 deliveries. Chennai managed to post just 66 runs from the first ten overs as a big total seemed an unrealistic target at Chepauk’s pitch. But Rahane added impactful 21 runs to give a little push to Chennai’s fightback at the beginning of the last ten overs.

Lalit took a spectacular catch on his own delivery to dismiss Rahane and added more pressure on Chennai. Rayudu joined in-form Shivam Dube in the middle and the duo changed the momentum toward CSK quickly. Dube top-scored with 25 runs off just 12 balls as he smashed three big sixes to take his tally for maximums to 27 this season. 

Mitchell Marsh bowled an impressive 3/18 spell against CSK

Rayudu also shone with a knock of 23 runs off 17 balls after a string of poor performances as an impact player in IPL 2023. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni ensured an impressive finish with the latter smashing one four and two sixes as CSK managed to score 101 runs in the last ten overs. Mitchell Marsh bowled an impressive spell of 3/18 while Axar picked two wickets and gave away 27 runs in four overs for Delhi Capitals. 

While chasing, Delhi’s hopes for a good start shattered on the innings’ very second delivery as Deepak Chahar dismissed opponent skipper David Warner, the leading run-getter for DC this season, with the latter trying to get a boundary over squares. Last match’s hero Phil Salt picked up where he left off and thwart an early pressure created after Warner’s wicket.

Salt smashed two back-to-back boundaries off Tushar Deshpande in the next over as he cleared his intentions early. He then took on Chahar with a 100-meter six in the next over but the Indian pacer ended Salt’s quick cameo on the next delivery. After four deliveries, Delhi lost their third wicket in the form of Mitchell Marsh on a run out after a terrible gaffle with Manish Pandey in the middle.

But Delhi survived the disappointing start with Pandey and South African big hitter Rilee Rossouw pulling off a 59-run stand for the fourth wicket. The duo kept the scoreboard moving but both were batting at a strike rate below 100. Chennai’s spin duo of Jadeja and Moeen Ali kept both batters at bay as the required run rate neared almost ten.

Pathirana gave Chennai a breakthrough with Pandey’s wicket in the 13th over who scored 27 runs but faced considerable 29 balls. Rossouw also walked off the pitch in the 15th over after top-scoring with 35 runs off 37 balls. In-form Axar came to bat at the no.7 position ahead of Aman Khan and Lalit Yadav but was not able to play an impactful knock as Delhi Capitals kept losing wickets under the pressure of the increasing required run rate.

Pathirana dismissed Axar in the 18th over and then finished the game with Lalit’s wicket in the last over to earn CSK a 27-run win. The Sri Lankan speedster took three wickets for 37 while Deepak impressed with a 2/28 spell. Jadeja also picked a wicket and bagged the Player of the Match award for his impressive all-round display for CSK.

A defeat keeps Delhi Capitals at the bottom of the table with just eight points in 11 games. They need to win their remaining three league matches and also hope for favorable results from other fixtures to finish in the top four. Delhi next face another struggling side Punjab Kings on Saturday while Chennai take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their next assignment on Sunday.