MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday became the second team to qualify for the playoffs after defeating Delhi Capitals by 77 runs. The side is set to play the first Qualifier against table-toppers Gujarat Titans on May 23
Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (Pic: AFP)
MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday became the second team to qualify for the playoffs after defeating Delhi Capitals by 77 runs. The side is set to play the first Qualifier against table-toppers Gujarat Titans on May 23.
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As Chennai cantered to a 77-run crushing victory over Delhi, skipper Dhoni was spotted being engaged in a heated conversation with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The rumours gained momentum a day later when Jadeja posted a cryptic post on Twitter about 'karma'. Moreover, his wife Rivaba quote-tweeted the post, captioning it 'follow your own path'. See the post below.
Follow your own Path...🙏 https://t.co/SFgmJhUKnw
— Rivaba Ravindrasinh Jadeja (@Rivaba4BJP) May 21, 2023
Coming to the match, CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (79 off 50) and Devon Conway (87 off 52) set the stage on fire to lay the platform with a 141-run stand. Shivam Dube(22 off 9) and Ravindra Jadeja(20* off 7) then provided the final acceleration with impactful cameos as CSK posted a mammoth 223/3.
Deepak Chahar then shone with a ball with an excellent spell of 3/22 as a combined bowling effort saw CSK restrict DC to 146/9 despite a brave effort from David Warner who fought the lone battle with a brilliant knock of 86(58).
Chasing 224, Delhi Capitals again lost a wicket early as Prithvi Shaw departed in the second over, courtesy of a brilliant diving catch at mid-off from Rayudu, off Tushar Deshpande.
Also Read: 5 teams who bounced back from brink of elimination to qualify for IPL playoffs in past
CSK built pressure from the start with accurate and disciplined bowling and gave away just two fours in the first four overs. Warner then broke the shackles, hammering a six and a four over long-on off Deepak Chahar in the fifth over but the CSK pacer hit back hard as he send back Phil Salt, caught at extra cover and then made Rilee Rossouw drag one onto his stumps off the next ball to script a splendid comeback. Warner ended the Powerplay with a six as DC trudged to 34/3.
CSK kept things tight but then Warner upped the ante with a six and a four off Jadeja. He hit a four off Theekshana in the next over and then brought up his fifty off 32 balls. The captain was single-handedly keeping the momentum going as wickets fell at the other end. He saw Yash Dhull depart from the other end but he kept going strong smashing three sixes and a four off Jadeja to take 23 runs off the over. He then saw Axar Patel depart in the next over as Chahar came back to dismiss the DC all-rounder as DC were reduced to 109/5 in the 14th over. Chahar finished with an impressive spell of 4-0-22-3.
While Warner kept fighting, the run rate crept over 21 with five overs remaining. Aman Khan broke the deadlock with the first boundary in 15 balls as he whipped one wide of short fine leg for a four off Tushar Deshpande. Warner ended the over by thumping one over extra cover and chopping one to third man for another four as DC accumulated 15 runs off the 16th over.
Pathirana then jolted DC further as he had Aman Khan caught at extra cover off the slower ball. CSK's Impact Player bowled a fantastic over and gave away just six in the over. With the required run rate creeping to 29 per over, it was always going to be a bridge too far for DC as Warner finally departed in the 19th over, caught at long-on off Pathirana for 86(58) and Theekshana sent back Lalit Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav off consecutive balls in the final over as DC fell well short by 77 runs.
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