Delhi Capitals beat CSK by 44 runs in second consecutive IPL win

Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by 44 runs to win their second consecutive match in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Friday (September 25).

Sent into bat, DC made 175 for three and then restricted CSK to 131 for seven to keep their winning run intact.

Opener Prithvi Shaw smashed 64 off 43 balls while Risabh Pant contributed 37 off 25 for Delhi Capitals against Chennai Super Kings.

Shaw’s innings had nine fours and a six while he added 94 for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (35 off 27 balls). However, skipper Shreyas Iyer (26 off 22 balls) had a rare off-day as he consumed a few dot balls and DC may have eneded at least 10 to 15 runs short of a safe score.

Related news: Samson’s 74 helps Royals start IPL with 16-run win against CSK

After a horrendous game last time, Piyush Chawla had a decent outing picking two for 33 while Sam Churan got the other wicket.

For Chennai, while Faf du Plessis played a 43 off 35 balls, Kedar Jadhav scored 26 off 21.

The two teams wore armbands to honour cricketer-commentator Dean Jones who died of a cardiac arrest Thursday at a Mumbai hotel. CSK also wore one to honour veteran playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam who died on Friday after a long battle with COVID-19.

“The Super Kings are wearing black armbands in memory of Dean Jones and SP Balasubrahmanyam. One had an absolutely iconic day at Chepauk, the other’s life has changed and shaped all of us in so many ways. Lion faceYellow heart #RIPSPB #RIPDeanJones #WhistleFromHome #WhistlePodu #Yellove #CSKvDC,” CSK wrote on its Twitter handle.

CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that he has missed injured Ambati Rayudu badly in the last two games, and said that the three-time champions are “lacking a bit of steam” in their batting unit in the ongoing IPL. Rayudu played a brilliant 48-ball 71-run knock in CSKs five-wicket win over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener but the right-hander has been on the sidelines in the last two matches owing to a hamstring injury. But Dhoni expressed hope that Rayudu will be available in their next game, which according to him will provide much-needed balance to the side.

“I don’t think it was a good game for us. There was no dew, but the wicket did slow down. We are lacking a bit of steam in the batting and that hurts. The run rate keeps on mounting after such slow starts and adds pressure, we need to figure that out. We need to come back with a clearer picture, looking at the combination. Maybe, the team balance will get better once Rayudu comes back in the next game,” Dhoni said after losing by 44 runs to Delhi Capitals on Friday.

“That will give us the room to experiment with an extra bowler perhaps. There are quite a few things we can think about. We are one batter extra to start off, so the players need to step up.” The skipper also asked his bowlers to pull up their socks after two ordinary outings. “We need to get better with our lengths, lines and pace. I think the spinners have not come to the party yet. We are bowling good deliveries, but we are giving away the boundary deliveries bit too often,” he said.

Related news: Rayadu’s 71 powers CSK to 5-wicket victory against MI

Barring some fielding lapses, Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer is happy with the performance of his side so far. “I am really happy with the performance. I would give them the benefit of doubt, is tough to catch in these conditions. You misjudge the ball, really don’t know how to pace yourself,” he said.

“In the team meeting we decided that we are going to assess the batting conditions early and then play accordingly. The way the openers started gave us a lot of confidence and the finish was good too. I am lucky to have KG (Ranada) and Nortje in the team. It’s important to stick together as a team and we need to enjoy each others success,” he said.

Scores:

Delhi Capitals 175/3 in 20 overs (Prithvi Shaw 64 off 43 balls, Shikhar Dhawan 35 off 27 balls, Rishabh Pant 37 off 25 balls, Piyush Chawla 2/33).

Chennai Super Kings: 131 for seven in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 43 off 35, Kedar Jadhav 26 off 21; Kagiso Rabada 3/26, Anrich Nortje 2/21).