CSK storm into IPL 2023 playoffs with 77-run win over DC

Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar brought their A-game to the fore as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cantered to a 77-run crushing victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) to seal a playoff berth in IPL 2023 in Delhi on Saturday (May 20).

Also read: IPL 2023 playoffs schedule, points table, and how the teams qualified

Playing a must-win game, Conway (87 off 52) and Gaikwad (79 off 50) smashed brilliant half-centuries to help Chennai Super Kings post a challenging 223/3 after captain MS Dhoni opted to bat.

Skipper David Warner, DC’s best batter this season, waged a lone battle, scoring 86 off 58 deliveries. But in the end, the home team could manage only 146/9 in 20 overs after Chahar dealt a killer blow removing a couple of top-order batters within Powerplay overs.

Also read: IPL 2023 full schedule, match times, venues

It was another poor performance from DC batters as barring Warner, none of the others could cross individual score of 15. The profligate Indian core of likes of Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Lalit Patel and Aman Hakim Khan continued to embarrass and never looked like belonging to this level.

Even the crowd was supporting the visitors as it continued to chant “Dhoni Dhoni’ throughout the game and even cheered when Delhi lost wickets.

Chahar (3/22) was the standout bowler for the visitors while Maheesh Theekshana (2/23) picked up two wickets in the last over.

Also read: IPL 2023: RR remain in playoff race with last-over win

With the win, CSK moved up to 17 points and become the second team to move to the qualifiers. With a net run rate of 0.652 CSK are likely to finish in the top two as only Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who play Kolkata Knight Riders later in the evening, can finish on 17 points and they have a NRR of 0.304.

Conway and Gaikwad came all guns blazing, hitting boundaries and sixes at will at the tacky Kotla pitch. The two put on 141 runs for the opening stand and smashed a total of 14 fours and 10 sixes. Delhi’s 2023 IPL campaign ended how it began – with a defeat.

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 🥳

𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 have qualified for the #TATAIPL 2023 Playoffs 💪🏻#DCvCSK | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/xlSNgjq09B

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2023

Their match performance was representative of their dismal season – underwhelming bowling, losing wickets in clumps and an overseas batter doing the heavy lifting with the bat.

Also read: IPL 2023: Virat Kohli’s ‘I don’t care’ message after record ton

While Warner, an IPL stalwart notched his sixth fifty of the season, other DC batters cut a sorry figure. Shaw’s (5) nightmare of a season ended with another disappointing show. He was caught off the bowling of his Mumbai teammate Tushar Deshpande by a flying Ambati Rayudu, who timed his dive to perfection at mid off.

After being hit for a maximum and a four by Warner, Chahar came back with a bang. The pacer dealt twin blow, getting rid of big hitters Phil Salt (3) and Rilee Rossouw (0) off successive deliveries. Young Dhull (13) kept Warner company in the middle for a bit as the skipper hit the big shots but the partnerships didn’t last long.

The Australian southpaw attacked Ravindra Jadeja, hitting the spinner for two sixes and as many fours in two overs, which yielded 37 runs. But the skipper kept on losing partners at the other end which made it difficult to chase the 200-plus score.

Earlier, Conway and Gaikwad began the onslaught in the second over when CSK collected 13 runs off Lalit Yadav with Conway hitting a cracking six.

The Delhi bowlers were punished for straying from their lengths. With field restrictions lifted, DC managed to dry out the boundaries before Gaikwad hit Axar Patel for back-to-back sixes over mid-wicket and got to his third fifty of the season.

While Gaikwad assumed the role of the aggressor, Conway complemented his fellow opener well as he clipped, pulled and cut en route to his half-century. Gaikwad then targeted Kuldeep Yadav, hammering a hat-trick of sixes.

The opener first whipped one over long off and then sent the ball over wide long-on. But all eyes were on Dhoni (5 not out ) who faced just four balls. However, the CSK skipper was on strike for the last ball which had to be bowled a couple of times as Sakariya bowled a no ball and a wide.

A terrific victory in Delhi for the @ChennaiIPL 🙌

They confirm their qualification to the #TATAIPL 2023 Playoffs 😎

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ESWjX1m8WD #TATAIPL | #DCvCSK pic.twitter.com/OOyfgTTqwu

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 20, 2023

(With agency inputs)