Delhi Capitals have secured the qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs round after defeating Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets in Dubai. Delhi currently top the points table with 20 points and a game in hand. They will play Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday (October 8) and have a chance to finish top in the IPL 2021 round-robin league points table. On the other hand, Chennai must win their last league match against Punjab Kings on Thursday (October 7) to finish in the top two spots in the standings. The match report of CSK vs. DC is discussed in this article.
Match Report: CSK vs. DC
Delhi Capitals captain Rishab Pant chose to field first against Chennai Super Kings on Monday in Dubai.
Chennai’s Innings
Chennai Super Kings batted first and managed to score 136/5 In their allocated 20 overs. They got off to a good start, as the opening pair put up 28 runs in three overs. However, Chennai's batting collapsed when Faf Du Plessis left the crease, as they lost four wickets for 62 runs in nine overs.
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Indian spinner Axar Patel was the real difference-maker between the two teams. He provided the first breakthrough for Delhi by taking Faf Du Plessis' wicket. He also sent Moeen Ali back to the pavilion in the eighth over.
MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu put on a 70-run partnership to help Chennai rebuild their innings. They kept a close eye on the scoreboard in the middle but didn't strive too hard to accelerate the run rates. These two players stayed at the crease till the last over for a competitive total. However, they were unable to produce big shots in the death overs and were forced to settle for a low total. Ambati Rayudu scored the highest runs with 55 off 43 balls, while Dhoni made 18 runs.
Delhi's spinners had shown excellent discipline in the middle. They were on target and didn't let them free their arms. Axar Patel took the highest two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs. Ravi Ashwin and pacer Kagiso Rabada were both outstanding with the ball for Delhi.
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Delhi’s Innings
Delhi Capitals bowlers did their job very well by limiting Chennai to a manageable score. Delhi reached the 137-run target with two balls to spare.
Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan gave Delhi a solid start with a 24-run opening partnership between them. Dhawan assumed control of the innings following the departure of Prithvi Shaw (18). Delhi looked strong in the middle but their batting order crumbled, and things looked worse when Dhawan (39) lost his wicket in the 15th over. Delhi were 99/6 at the time.
Delhi fought back with an undefeated 28* off 18 balls knock from West Indian power batter Shimron Hetmyer, and triumphed in 19.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur were outstanding with the ball. For Chennai, they each took two wickets.
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Player of the Match
Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel was named the best player of the match for his brilliant effort with the ball.
Bottom Line
Chennai Super Kings have now lost two consecutive games, and the momentum has shifted back to the Delhi Capitals, who have won two successive matches. Chennai must defeat Punjab in order to secure qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs. Otherwise, they will have to rely on the results of Bangalore's fixtures.
Chennai's top order struggled against Delhi, putting the middle order under strain. As a result, they had to settle for a low total to defend. Chennai's top order must rediscover their best rhythm before the crucial playoffs round. On the other side, the Rishab Pant-led Delhi Capitals team has done well as a unit. They have the depth and balance in their squad to win the IPL 2021 tournament.
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