IPL 2019, Chennai Super Kings Vs Delhi Capitals: Result

Skipper MS Dhoni's prowess in the slog overs and his lightning-quick stumping were on display yet again while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinners bamboozled Delhi Capitals (DC) batsmen in the 50th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. In the battle for top-spot, the defending champions thrashed DC by 80 runs.

It was Suresh Raina who struck a fighting 59 off 37 balls to prepare the road for revival following a slow start and Dhoni (unbeaten 44 off 22) provided the late flourish, ending the innings in style with two sixes off Trent Boult.

After making just 27 runs in Powerplay overs, the hosts eventually put on board a fighting 179 for four and dismissed Capitals for just 99 in 16.2 over to snatch the top spot from the visitors.

DC suffered a surprise batting collapse after being consistent this season. They were out of the game after losing half the batsmen by 11th over and ended up suffering their worst defeat. It was also their lowest total of the season.

CSK, who now sit atop the table with 18 points, are now sure to end in top-2, ensuring that they will have two shots at making the summit clash.

Mumbai Indians are only team which can displace DC (16 points) from second place if they win their next two games and Delhi lose their last.

Brief Scores:

Chennai Super Kings: 179 for 4 in 20 overs. (S Raina 59, MS Dhoni 44 not out, F du Plessis 39; J Suchith 2/28).

Delhi Capitals: 99 all out in 16.2 overs. (I Tahir 4/12, R Jadeja 3/9).

Man of the match: MS Dhoni

Playing XIs:

Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Ingram, Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Amit Mishra, J Suchith, Trent Boult

(SCHEDULE | POINTS TABLE | 2019 ELECTION SPECIAL)

Meanwhile, here's the latest update on 'Cyclone Fani'. Not good news.

11:15 PM IST: And that's it. Imran Tahir had Ami Mishra caught behind for an 80-run win. Huge win. FoW-99-all out (16.2 Over). What a show from the defending champions. Tahir's figures: 4/12 in 3.2 overs.

11:07 PM IST: Imran Tahir with another brilliant over. Three singles. DC-92/8 after 15 overs.

11:01 PM IST: Another tidy over for CSK. Just three runs from Dwayne Bravo's second over. DC-89/8 after 14 overs. They need 91 from 36 overs. Time out.

10:58 PM IST: One run from Harbhajan Singh's last over. His figures: 1/28. DC-86/8 after 13 overs. They need 94 runs from 42 balls.

10:54 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja on with his third over and he had Chris Morris stumped off the fourth ball. A masterclass from MS Dhoni behind the wicket. He leaves the batsman's foot hanging in the air. And in a similar fashion, Dhoni does it again, to send Shreyas Iyer back. Two wickets and two runs from the over. FoW-85/8 after 12 overs. Iyer made 44 off 31.

10:47 PM IST: Two wickets from Imran Tahir's second over. Axar Patel off the second ball, caught at slip by Shane Watson and Sherfane Rutherford off the last ball, caught at cover by Deepak Chahar. Three runs from the over. DC-83/6 after 11 overs. Chris Morris is the new man. They need 97 runs from 54 balls.

10:43 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja on with his second over. Five singles. DC-80/4 after 10 overs. The need 100 from 60 balls.

10:38 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo gets his first over. A four off the first over, hit by Axar Patel past backward point. And four more singles. Eight runs from the over. DC-75/4 after nine overs. They need 105 runs from 66 balls. Time out.

10:32 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja strikes in his first over. Colin Ingram LBW off the fourth ball. Review taken but returned as the umpire's call. FoW-66/4 (7.4 Over). Axar Patel is the new man. Two runs from the over. DD-67/4 after eight overs. They need 113 runs from 72 balls.

10:26 PM IST: What a wastage! Rishabh Pan hits Imran Tahir for a four to extra cover. Sublime timing, then throws his wicket the next ball, going for the maximum. Dwayne Bravo takes the catch at long-off. FoW-63/3 (6.2 Over). Colin Ingram is the new man. Six runs from the over. DC-65/3 after seven overs. They need 115 runs from 78 balls.

10:21 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh gets his man. Cleans up Shikhar Dhawan's wickets. FoW-52/2 (5.3 Over). Dhawan made 19 off 13. Rishabh Pant is the new man. Shreyas Iyer once again beats the fielders at backward point for an another four. 10 runs from the over. DC-59/2 after six overs. They need 121 runs from 84 balls.

10:16 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with his third over. 15 runs from the over. Shreyas Iyer hits the first ball for a six over mid-off boundary, then a four off the fifth ball, played over short third man. DD-49/1 after five overs.

10:11 PM IST: Very good over for Delhi. Shikhar Dhawan hits Harbhajan Singh for a six, off the second ball over long on and a four off the fifth ball through cover. 13 runs from the over. DC-34/1 after four overs. They need 146 runs.

10:07 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with his second over. Shreyas Iyer hits the second ball for a four to deep backward point. Nine runs from the over. DC-21/1 after three overs. They need 159 runs.

10:03 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh with the second over. Just four runs from it. DC-12/1 after two overs. They need 168 runs.

9:59 PM IST: What a start for Chennai Super Kings. Prithvi Shaw smokes the fifth ball, but hits it straight to Suresh Raina at cover point. FoW-4/1 (0.5 Over). Shreyas Iyer is the new man and hits the last ball of the over for a foure to fine leg. Still a good first over from Deepak Chahar. Eight runs.

9:44 PM IST: CSK scored 77 for one wicket in the last five overs, and compare it to their first five, 17/1. That's Dhoni differential.

9:40 PM IST: Trent Boult on with the last over. One eventful final over. MS Dhoni hits the third ball for a four, straight over the bowler's head. Then, hits the fifth ball for a six, over deep mid-wicket and another, over backward square leg. 21 from the over. Dhoni unbeaten on 44 off 22, and he was supposed to be sick. CSK-179/4.

9:33 PM IST: MS Dhoni hits the first ball for a four to fine leg. A single then, Chris Morris takes a very good caught and bowled to send Ravindra Jadeja (25 off 10) back. FoW-145/4 (18.3 Over). Ambati Rayudu, the new man, hits the fourth ball for a four to dee midwicket. A single, and a sis off the no-ball. Dhoni only needed to guide the ball over fine leg and the bowler apologises to Dhoni. That was going for the head. A single off the free-hit. 18 runs from the over. CSK-158/4 after 19 overs. Morris' figures: 1/47.

9:26 PM IST: Trent Boult returns for his third over. 14 runs from it, including a four off the second ball, hit by MS Dhoni to fine leg. Ravindra Jadeja hits the last ball for a huge six, over long-on. CSK-140/3 after 18 overs.

9:21 PM IST: Chris Morris returns for his third over. Ten runs from it. A four off the third ball, hit by MS Dhoni top fine leg boundary, then another one, hit by Ravindra Jadeja to third man. CSK-126/3 after 17 overs.

9:16 PM IST: Axar Patel unlucky not to get the wicket of adventurous Ravindra Jadeja. First, Jadeja gets a six, parried over the boundary at deep backward square by a running Rutherford, then a four, beating a diving Rishabh Pant. Thick edge. 14 runs from the over. CSK-116/3 after 16 overs.

9:09 PM IST: Jagadeesha Suchith returns for his last ball. A four to start with, to long on. Then another, over the bowler's head. And 50th T20 fifty for Suresh Raina. He takes 34 balls. A dot, then Shikhar Dhawan pulls off a very good catch to end Raina's watch. FoW-102/3 (14.5 Over). Raina made 59 off 37. Ravindra Jadeja is the new man. 14 runs from the over. CSK-102/3. Suchith's figures: 2/28. Time out.

9:03 PM IST: Faf du Plessis hits the second ball of the over for a six, straight over the bowler's head. But Axar Patel hits back in style. He had the South African caught at long on by Shikhar Dhawan. FoW-87/2 (13.3 Over). Faf made 39 off 41 balls. New man MS Dhoni survives a very quick stumping from Rishabh Pant. Seven runs from the over. CSK-88/2 after 14 overs.

8:58 PM IST: 12 runs from Sherfane Rutherford's second over, including a six off the third ball, hit by Faf du Plessis over extra cover. CSK-81/1 after 13 overs.

8:53 PM IST: Amit Mishra on with his third over. Eight runs from it. Four off the last ball, hit by Suresh Raina. CSK-69/1 after 12 overs.

8:49 PM IST: Sherfane Rutherford gets his first over. Eight runs from the over. Fiver singles, a double and a wide. CSK-61/1 after 11 overs.

8:44 PM IST: Amit Mishra on with his second over. Three singles. CSK-53/1 after 10 overs. 49 runs for the second wicket partnership between Faf du Plessis (20 off 29) and Suresh Raina (32 off 22) from 40 balls.

8:37 PM IST: Chris Morris returns for his second over. A dot off the first ball and a vintage Suresh Raina hits the second for a straight four, over the bowler's head. Faf du Plessis hits the fifth ball for a four to fine leg. Nine runs from the over. CSK-50/1 after nine overs. Time out.

8:33 PM IST: Experienced leg-spinner Amit Mishra into the attack. Tidy start. Five singles. CSK-41/1 after eight overs.

8:29 PM IST: Jagadeesha Suchith on with his third over. Nine runs from it, including a four off the first ball, hit by Suresh Raina to long-off. CSK-36/1 after seven overs.

8:25 PM IST: Very quick over from Axar Patel. And some runs for Chennai. Suresh Raina hits the fourth and fifth balls for fours. Ten runs from the over. CSK-27/1 after six overs.

8:22 PM IST: A better over for Chennai. Chris Morris gets his first over. A dot to Faf du Plessis, and first boundary of the match. A low full toss and Faf plays it fine to fine leg. Then a dot and a wide. A four to third man, hit by Suresh Raina, to end the over. CSK-17/1 after five overs.

8:16 PM IST: Jagadeesha Suchith continues with his second over. Faf du Plessis takes a single off the first ball, then the wicket of Shane Watson. The Aussie, having blocked eight balls for nothing, plays a lofted shot only to pick the lone fielder manning the mid-wicket boundary. Caught by Axar Patel. FoW-4/1 (3.2 Over). Suresh Raina is the new man. Four runs from the over. Seems like CSK are playing a different format of cricket. CSK-7/1 after four overs.

8:11 PM IST: Trent Boult continues with his second over. Another brilliant over from the Kiwi left-arm pacer. Just a single, off the third ball to Faf du Plessis. CSK-3/0 after three overs. Shane Watson has a big zero off eight balls.

8:08 PM IST: Jagadeesha Suchith, left-arm spinner, gets on with the second over. Just one single from the over, off the second ball to Faf du Plessis. CSK-2/0 after two overs.

8:04 PM IST: Trent Boult starts the proceedings with a very good spell of pace bowling. Just a single to Faf du Plessis off the fifth ball. Shane Watson blocks the last ball.

7:50 PM IST: Delhi will miss the services of pacers Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma, especially the South African. He has a back issue, while Ishant is having an ankle niggle. CSK are back to full strength. Ravindra Jadeja is back, along with Faf du Plessis.

7:40 PM IST: MS Dhoni is fit to lead Chennai Super Kings. Delhi Capitals have won the toss and opted to field.

For many, it will be considered a dead rubber with both Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals already in the IPL 2019 playoffs. But this top of the table clash has all the makings of a drama-fille thriller. First, it will a battle for the top spot, then there's a looming threat of 'Cyclone Fani'. The focus will also bee on MS Dhoni, who's not well.

Preview:

Their net run-rate slipping into negative after a defeat against Mumbai Indians (MI), defending champions CSK will be keen to get back to No 1 spot when they take on current table-toppers DC.

An interesting contest is on the cards between two current top teams and a win for either side will help it consolidate the position and ultimately could have a bearing on where it finishes in the final standings.

Dhoni-less CSK went down rather tamely to MI in their last game, which saw their net run-rate falling. Now with just two games left in the league stage, CSK will look to roar back with victories to seal a spot in the top two and get the home comfort in Qualifier 1.

Without his inspiring presence, CSK's batting collapsed against MI and they lost the game by 46 runs to surrender their position at the top of the points table to Delhi.

With 16 points from 12 games, CSK will be hoping that their talismanic captain recovers from the bout of fever, which forced him to sit out the MI fixture and be ready to feature in the last home match of the league phase.

Also, the home team will be expecting influential all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja to be back in the mix too.

DC, on the other hand, would be high on confidence having posted four wins in their last five matches.

Young Shreyas Iyer has done a good job of leading the team, which also has 16 points from 12 games, and has scored important runs.

He will be keen to put on some valuable runs on board against the formidable CSK and would also expect Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant to find ways to score on a sluggish Chepauk track.

It will be fascinating to see how the league's top wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada does on CSK's home turf, traditionally known to offer help to slow bowlers.

The spin-heavy CSK led by Imran Tahir and Harbhajan Singh could prove quite a handful for Dhawan & Co. and how they cope with that would determine the game's outcome, as would the Delhi tweakers performance.

Squads:

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn.

Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Colin Ingram, Keemo Paul, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Ankush Bains, Chris Morris, Sherfane Rutherford, Jalaj Saxena, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Nathu Singh, Bandaru Ayyappa, Colin Munro, Manjot Kalra.