DC vs CSK Review – Chennai thump Delhi to book Qualifier 1 spot
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious by 77 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi against David Warner’s Delhi Capitals (DC). In doing so, Chennai have virtually cemented their berth in Qualifier 1 and will continue to be in the second spot, unless LSG win their fixture against KKR by a huge margin and improve their NRR.
Upon winning the toss, legendary CSK skipper MS Dhoni decided to bat first. What followed was sheer domination by CSK’s opening duo of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad as they swiftly hit the ground running. Getting the big runs with ease, the pair added a mammoth 141-run partnership off just 87 balls which kept CSK in the driver’s seat.
While Gaikwad got 79 off 50 balls which featured seven sixes and three fours, Conway stamped his authority with the bat with a magnificent knock of 87 off 52 balls. Following their dismissals, Shivam Dube (22 off 9) and Ravindra Jadeja (20* off 7) played blazing cameos to propel CSK to 223 runs in their 20 overs.
In response, the yellow outfit extended their domination during the chase by getting the scalp of Impact Player Prithvi Shaw for five runs. Meanwhile, Delhi’s skipper Warner tried hard to lead the side from the front with his belligerent 58-ball 86 knock.
However, with the wickets falling at regular intervals and the asking rate making a sharp uptick, Delhi eventually succumbed under pressure. Deepak Chahar recorded a three-wicket haul whereas Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana got two wickets apiece. With this, Chennai clinched the crucial two points and entered the playoffs for the 12th time in the tournament’s history.
Top performers from the match
Devon Conway: Conway is relishing a stellar campaign for the yellow outfit in the ongoing edition. He maintained his purple patch in the match against Delhi as he took the bowling unit to the cleaners, smashing 87 off 52 balls which included 11 fours and three sixes at a solid strike rate of 167.30.
David Warner: The southpaw unleashed mayhem at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi by taking the onus of playing a more aggressive role. Warner clobbered 86 runs off 58 balls at a strike rate of 148.27, which featured five sixes and seven fours.
What’s next for both teams?
Chennai will be preparing for the knockout rounds now, whereas Delhi have already been eliminated from the race for playoffs.
