Delhi Capitals produced an all-round display to outplay Chennai Super Kings by 44 runs in the IPL 2020 match in Dubai. With their second win in as many matches, the Shreyas Iyer-led team jumped to the top position in the points table.
Chasing 176 to win, the CSK batsmen failed collectively to get going. Faf du Plessis was yet again the top-scorer with 43 runs, but found no support from the other end, except for Kedar Jadhav, who made 26 off 21 balls.
The other batsmen, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, struggled to play the big shots in the face of some clinical bowling by the Delhi Capitals bowlers, led by Kagiso Rabada (3/26). Anrich Nortje (2 for 21) and Axar Patel (1/18), too, shone with the ball to fashion a memorable win for Delhi Capitals.
Dhoni, once again, did not push himself up the order, given the expectations after his decision to hold himself back in the game against Rajasthan Royals backfired.
Coming in at No.6 in the 16th over with 78 runs needed from 4.2 overs, Dhoni could only make 15 runs off 12 balls, including a couple of fours off two loose deliveries from Avesh Khan.
Earlier, Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan started slowly, scoring just 36 runs of the first six overs of powerplay before opening up to stitch 94 runs for the opening wicket in 10.4 overs.
Shaw made 64 off 43 balls in the company of Dhawan (35 off 27 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) to provide a superb start to DC's innings.
Spinner Piyush Chawla broke the dangerous-looking partnership by removing both Dhawan and Shaw in consecutive overs.
Rishabh Pant (37 not out, 25 balls) and captain Shreyas Iyer (26, 22 balls) pushed the scoreboard along before the latter was caught by a diving Dhoni off Sam Curran as CSK managed to pull things back.
(With PTI inputs)
