Take a bow, Dhawan. His maiden IPL ton ensured Delhi romped home with five wickets to spare. He was dropped thrice by Chennai, who have paid dearly for their sloppy fielding. With 17 needed off the final over, MS turned to Jadeja who was hit for three maximums by Axar Patel as Delhi moved top of the points table with 14 points from nine games. Chennai's sixth with six points from nine matches.
Speaking of Delhi's brilliance, an iconic Indian opening duo that comes to mind when speaking of Delhi is the Aakash Chopra-Virender Sehwag combo. Ever wondered what they spoke about when out there in the middle? Find out in E03 of Tissot presents Sportstar Extras T20 Time.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with this special series. That would be all from our side. Good night.
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Jaddu to bowl the final over. He starts with a wide. 16 off 6. Dhawan takes a single next ball. 15 off 5 with Axar on strike. SIX! Axar, you beauty - he has launched that over deep mid-wicket for six. 9 off 4. And another six - should be the game too, surely. Scores are level with a brace.
Dhawan has an opportunity to hit the winning runs. Axar hits another maximum to seal a five-wicket win for Delhi.
Sam Curran to bowl the all important 19th. He has got Carey out first ball! Now then... Batsmen crossed. Dhawan on strike. Axar Patel to the crease. Curran, meanwhile, bowls a dot. 21 off 10. Dhawan on 98. Bowls a wide next ball. 20 off 10. Dhawan moves to 99 with a single. 19 off 9. Good over so far. Axar takes a single. Dhawan on strike. He is on 99. Dhawan has been adjudged caught behind! He reviews immediately. What drama. Dhawan survives. The 100 comes up for Dhawan. What an innings. But an equally great over from Curran. Four and a wicket. DC need 17 off the final over. Dhawan will be on strike.
Thakur to bowl out. Dhawan and Carey have collected three off the first three balls. Dhawan finishes the over with a boundary, moves to 98. Delhi now need just 21 off the last two. DC 159/4 after 18 Overs. This is now Dhawan's highest IPL score.
Curran is back into the attack. He starts with a dot. Carey is on strike. He does the sensible thing next ball, takes a single and gets Dhawan back on strike. FOUR! Dhawan has clobbered this over mid-wicket. What a shot. He moves into the nineties with a six. Delhi romping home. 11 from the over. DC 150/4 after 17 Overs.
Shardul Thakur is back into the attack. He has been dropped again, has Dhawan! Oh CSK, what have you done? Rayudu the culprit on this occassion.
Dhawan makes them pay Stoinis cashes in now with a maximum next ball.
But Thakur has the last laugh as he gets the Aussie out caught by Rayudu. Delhi Capitals needs 43 runs in 26 balls. Time-out. Alex Carey is the new batsman at the crease. 10 runs and a wicket off that over.
DC need 41 to win off 24 balls now.
Karn to bowl one more over. He has gone for 23 off his first two. It was turning out to be a good over until Dhawan ruined it with two successive boundaries. He moves into the eighties and Delhi's bossing the chase right now. 11 from the over. DC 129/3 after 15 Overs .
Bravo into his third now. FOUR! Oh, what a shot. Dhawan seems determined to see DC home tonight. He has swept a slower ball over backward square for four. What a knock this is turning out to be. Wonder what's going through Chahar's mind eh? He was batting on 25 when Chahar dropped him, was Dhawan. Nine from the over. DC needs 62 in 6 overs.
Karn Sharma is back into the attack. There's a slip in place. MS on the attack. SIX! Stoinis has been in fine form this season and here's an example of it - loopy leg-break from Karn and Stoinis has hammered that over long-off for sis. He follows it up with a four to extra cover. 13 off the over. DC 109/3 after 13 Overs. Delhi need 71 off 7 overs.
Bravo continues. It's Iyer's turn to cash in - whips this one away for four. It was bowled on the pads and with fie leg up, it was an easy picking for the DC skipper. GONE! Bravo strikes. Iyer is out. The partnership has been broken. Marcus Stoinis, right handed bat, comes to the crease. Eight runs and a wicket from it. DC 96/3 after 12 Overs.
Delhi need 104 in the next 10. With these two out in the middle, shouldn't be a tall ask. Chennai need wickets and fast. Meanwhile, Dhawan welcomes Curran back into the attack with a flat-batted hit for four. Another one - gives Curran the charge, who shortens the length. Dhawan smokes it over extra cover for four. 12 from it. DC 88/2 after 11 Overs.
Dwayne Bravo, right-arm medium-fast, has been introduced into the attack. He starts by conceding a wide. He moves to 49 with a single. And the 50 comes up with yet another single. DC look so much more dangerous with Dhawan batting the way he has in the last few games. This is his third successive fifty! Six from the over and the 50-run stand between Dhawan and Iyer has also come up. DC 76/2 after 10 Overs.
Karn Sharma, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack. Dhawan's in sublime touch - he collects two back to back fours off Sharma. How expensive will that Chahar drop prove to be in the end? 10 runs from that over. DC 70/2 after 9 Overs . Delhi needs 110 in 66 with eight wickets in hand.
Chahar is bowling out inside the first 10. Can he nip out one more before finishing his spell? A single to deep square-leg for Dhawan. Chahar had dropped Dhawan on 25. He has since inched closer towards yet another IPL fifty. Four singles off the over so far. Make that five. That's six singles out of six. 4-1-18-2 for Chahar. Terrific. DC 60/2 after 8 Overs.
Time-out . Delhi Capitals need 126 runs in 78 balls with eight wickets in hand.
Jadeja comes on to bowl. Spin for the first time from CSK. A couple of singles followed by a two. Oh dear, Chahar has dropped Dhawan. And the southpaw rubs salt on wound by carting the next two deliveries for four. 13 runs from that over. Could've been much less and a wicket! DC 54/2 after 7 Overs.
Shreyas Iyer with a lofted drive for a six over long on off Thakur! Thakur goes slower ball and Iyer nudges it to the on side for a single. Thakur goes full and wide allowing Dhawan to free his arms to slice it behind point for a four. He ends the powerplay with a single. DC 41/2 after 6 overs
GONE ! Wicket No. 2 for Chahar as Rahane holes out to Curran. That was a brilliant catch by the Englishman at backward point. Chennai in the box seat at the moment. Shreyas Iyer, right handed bat, comes to the crease. He seems to have hurt himself here, Iyer... trying to steal a quick single. The physio is attending to him. We are good to go! Three runs and a wicket from it. DC 29/2 after 5 Overs. Lowest PP score at Sharjah - CSK 39/1
Shardul Thakur, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Another bowler who has impressed this season. Rahane's first scoring shot of the match is a boundary to deep mid-wicket. Eight runs from the over. DC 26/1 after 4 Overs .
Chahar continues. Rahane off the mark with a single. Dhawan collects a single to cover. Now Rahane's turn to chop it to backward point and take a single. Now Dhawan collects a brace but Rahane was a goner but for a poor throw. FOUR! Dhawan's warmed up now - carves it away to deep backward point for four. Lots of width and Dhawan won't miss out on those. 10 from the over. DC 18/1 after 3 Overs.
Sam Curran, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Curran starts with a dot before conceding a boundary - short ball and at Curran's pace, Dhawan had ample time to pull it away for four. And another one - this time straight down the ground. He has been in good touch lately, has Dhawan. Eight runs from the over. DC 8/1 after 2 Overs.
Welcome back. Dhawan and Shaw will eye a good start to this run chase. Given the sluggish nature of the pitch, this isn't an easy total. Shaw takes strike. Chahar to open the attack. Starts with a dot. GONE! Shaw falls for yet another duck. Chennai have an early breakthrough. Rahane comes to the crease. A wicket maiden from Chahar. DC 0/1 after 1 Over.
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This has been a good contest between bat and ball so far. After losing Sam Curran early in the innings, CSK fought back through Watson and Faf. Faf's fifty kept CSK ticking until both batters fell in quick succession. Dhoni's dismissal thereafter threatened to thwart Chennai's late surge but some audacious power-hitting from Rayudu and Jaddu has seen CSK set DC a target of 180.
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Nortje to bowl the 20th. Rayudu on strike. He takes a single and gets off strike. Five to go. Dot ball. A pacy wide yorker. Nothing Jaddu could have done about it. Four left. SIX! Jadeja responds with a maximum off the third ball - low full toss and Jaddu slogs it for six. Six more. 12 off the last two balls. Great finish this... A brace off the penultimate ball. 15 off this over so far. A single will be added to the total. 16 from it. 32 off the last two. CSK 179/4.
Nortje and KG to wrap up the innings. 12 pacy deliveries await the two batsmen. Rabada to bowl the 19th. Starts with a wide. A single off the next ball. Keep an eye on the speedometer - both balls have been north of 140. Another single. The 150 comes up. SIX! Much-needed big hit as Rayudu launches this over deep square-leg for six. This has been a lovely innings from the right-hander. Whoof... A 148.1 kmph bumper from KG. Rayudu is unable to connect. Takes a single next ball and gives the strike to Jaddu, who ends the over by despatching a 144 kmph delivery for six. 16 from that over. CSK 163/4 after 19 Overs.
Tushar Deshpande to bowl out. These two need to go after the least experienced member of DC's pace trio. Can't let him off with an economical over. Good effort from the Mumbaikar thus far - three singles off the first three. SIX! A length ball and Jadeja has clobbered that out of the ground for six. Pressure. The youngster concedes a wide off the last ball. 13 from that over. CSK 147/4 after 18 Overs.
Dhoni and Rayudu are up against Nortje, Tushar and KG. Nortje has two and the others one each. SIX! Rayudu hammers this length ball for six. Width on offer and Rayudu cashes in. GONE!!! BIG WICKET. MS Dhoni is out caught behind. Ravi Jadeja is the new man in. It's a luxury to have a pace attack comprising KG and AN. Rayudu finishes the over with a boundary. 12 runs and a wicket.
Marcus Stoinis has been introduced into the attack. He will bowl at MS Dhoni. This should be interesting. Rayudu and MS trying to go after Stoinis but not succeeding just yet. Doing it in singles at the moment... SIX! There's the big hit. Gives Stoinis the charge and lofts it over long-on for six. A single to end the over. 10 from it. CSK 122/3 after 16 Overs.
KG Rabada is back into the attack. Faf collects a streaky boundary. Doesn't matter how they come as long as they come. Meanwhile, Rabada is cranking up the pace. Everything north of 140 so far. He gets a wicket! Dhawan makes amends and Faf has to depart. Two set batsmen are now back in the hut. He falls for 58. MS Dhoni is in the house. End of a successful over - just seven runs and a wicket. CSK 112/3 after 15 Overs.
Ravi Ashwin is back into the attack. SIX! Rayudu brings up the team 100 with a maximum over deep mid-wicket. Ashwin has been expensive tonight, thus far. 11 from that over. A single, a six and a couple of twos. CSK 105/2 after 14 Overs.
Second strategic time-out has been taken. Seven overs left. CSK would want a minimum of 170 ...
This is why Delhi has dominated this IPL - its bowling attack. Despite being put under the cosh, they find ways to get a wicket. So crucial in a format like T20, where the game can slip away from you in the blink of an eye. Anyway, Axar to bowl out. DROPPED! Faf has been dropped by Dhawan. Axar deserved a wicket but alas... Five singles and a brace to end his spell - 40-23-0. CSK 94/2 after 13 Overs.
Here comes Anrich Nortje. Delhi clearly unsettled by this pair. A 144.4 kmph delivery is pushed towards long-on for a single by Watto. Fifty for Faf and this has been a fine innings from the former South African captain - has clearly been CSK's best batsman this season. GONE! There's the wicket and it's that man again, Nortje! Breaks the 87-run stand by cleaning up Watto. Rayudu is the new batsman at the crease. He is greeted by a 148 kmph delivery. No run. Solid defence. Two runs and a wicket. CSK 87/2 after 12 Oers.
Tushar Deshpande [2.0-0-12-1] is back into the attack. WHAM! How's that for a welcome - Du Plessis has hammered this overpitched delivery over long-off for six. Four more - low full toss and Faf has hit it over short fine leg for four. 14 from the over. Faf is on 49. CSK 85/1 after 11 Overs.
Faf's in bit of discomfort here. Needs attention. The CSK physio is out in the middle. He is fine now... Ashwin to continue. Faf and Watto trying to up the ante now as they collect a boundary each off Ash. And Watto ends the over with yet another boundary - good over for CSK - 15 from it. CSK 71/1 after 10 Overs.
These two wouldn't want to get into a shell, not against this Delhi attack. By the looks of it, it will be Faf who will take charge and Watto will try and bat through. Meanwhile, the first strategic time-out in the match. Axar into his third over. Watson brings up the fifty stand with a boundary. Nine from it in the end. CSK 56/1 after 9 Overs.
Ravichandran Ashwin, right-arm off break, comes into the attack. Delhi won't be desperate for a wicket just yet. Tidy start from the Chennai lad. Watson and Faf dealing in singles against DC's spinners. Just four singles from it in the end. Last two overs have gone for just eight. CSK 47/1 after 8 Overs.
Axar Patel [1.0-0-3-0] is back into the attack. Another good over from Axar. Only four singles from it. This is the kind of wicket he would like bowling on. Slightly on the slower side tonight. CSK 43/1 after 7 Overs.
Kagiso Rabada [1.0-1-0-0] is back into the attack. A dot followed by a single to short mid-wicket for Watto. Another dot. FOUR! Du Plessis is switching gears here and he is going after Delhi's two pace spearheads - after getting stuck into Nortje, it's KG's turn as Faf clobbers a pull over mid-wicket for four. Watson feels left out, says 'I'm there too', as he collects a boundary to square third man. 10 from this over. CSK fighting back in Powerplay after that early jitter. CSK 39/1 after 6 Overs.
SIX! Faf welcomes his fellow countryman Nortje into the attack with a premeditated hit for six. And again, Faf steps out to Nortje for no run. Aggressive intent from the former SA skipper. FOUR more! This time through deep mid-wicket. Du Plessis putting the pressure back on Nortje. Faf is trying to unsettle Nortje and it has worked so far. And another boundary to end the over, this one's through sweeper cover. 14 from it. CSK 29/1 after 5 Overs.
Axar Patel, Left arm orthodox, comes into the attack. He has been extremely miserly in this tournament. Mark Nicholas waxing lyricals about Axar and his control. Much deserved one would say. Great start from Axar. Just three singles from it in the end. CSK 15/1 after 4 Overs.
Tushar continues. Some extra movement on offer but he errs in line and concedes a wide. Excellent start from DC. Good comeback from the Mumbaikar. Two successive dots. Beautiful from Watson as he breaks the shackles with a glorious straight drive. Right off the middle of the bat. SHOT! Short ball from Tushar and Watto has pulled that with disdain for four. 10 from the over. CSK 12/1 after 3 Overs.
Kagiso Rabada, right-arm fast, comes into the attack. A slip in place for Watson. Two dots to start his spell. Make that three in a row. KG's already working up some good pace. The second delivery was clocked at 142 kmph. Another dot. Brilliant from KG. A maiden to get started. CSK 2/1 after 2 Overs.
Sam Curran and Faf du Plessis to open the innings. Sam will take strike. Tushar Deshpande will start proceedings with the new ball. A slip in place. A dot to start the game. Interesting call from DC. Tushar taking the new ball. Whoa. Sam steps out ... stays leg side and tries to hit it toward off-side but a dot. WICKET! Disastrous start for CSK. Sam Curran departs. Tushar strikes. Shane Watson is in next. Faf on strike, the batters crossed. Still no runs on the board. First runs as Faf takes a couple off the last ball. CSK 2/1 after 1 Over.
We are all set for action to begin. There have been seven 200+ totals i Sharjah but they've been on the wane lately. Will Chennai buck the trend and put up a big total? The Chennai openers will be wary of Delhi's pace attack - Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. Not to forget, their spin attack comprising in-form Axar Patel and the experienced Ravi Ashwin.
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TOSS UPDATE: MS Dhoni has won the toss and Chennai will bat first. Kedar Jadhav replaces Piyush Chawla in playing XI.
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer(c), Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey(w), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Tushar Deshpande, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Karn Sharma
PITCH REPORT : "This pitch hasn't taken as much turn as the other one. You want to bowl when it (ball) is brand new, that would be the key, it'll skid on a little bit, will be relatively quick. Great deck to bat on, win the toss and have a bat," reckons Simon Doull.
Five minutes to go for the toss. Buckle up, folks. Good news from the Delhi camp. Skipper Shreyas Iyer is fit for tonight's game. If Pant's situation hasn't improved, expect the same playing XI as last match as far as Delhi is concerned.
Right then, we are 30 minutes away from the toss. Huge game this for Chennai. Every game from hereon is more or less a must win for Dhoni's men. On the other hand, Delhi, despite being comfortably placed in the points table, wouldn't want overconfidence to seep into that buoyant dressing room of theirs. Will be interesting to see MS Dhoni's tactics tonight. Will he play two leggies, will Sam Curran open? Will there be a change to the playing XI?
BUILD-UP
For the fantasy cricket players out there, here are our predicted XIs for both CSK and DC. - READ
This was Chennai's last playing XI from the win over SRH: Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla. Will CSK name an unchanged XI today?
Delhi Capitals strangled the Super Kings in this season's earlier meeting. But how has the Delhi-outfit featured against the three-time champion over the years?
With their backs to the wall, Chennai Super Kings finally got its third win against Sunrisers Hyderabad to keep its hopes alive in the competition. On Saturday it will take on the in-form side Delhi Capitals in Sharjah. Here's our preview for tonight's encounter - READ
The two teams have faced each other 22 times in the IPL so far, and CSK holds a 15-7 head-to-head win/loss record over DC - READ
He has been instrumental in Mumbai winning its first Vijay Hazare Trophy title in more than a decade. He has represented India A as well. But Tushar Deshpande started trending on social media only after his Indian Premier League debut for Delhi Capitals. All you need to know about him - READ
The Twenty20 format is brutal on the bowlers and the suggestion to divide the 20 overs between four bowlers — each allowed to bowl five — is hardly going to make it a level playing field, feels Sunil Gavaskar. Here's his latest column - READ
The IPL offers an opportunity for the rookies to showcase their wares against and alongside some of the finest in the game, while legends of the game watch from the coaching sidelines - READ
Follow our special interview series -Tissot presents Sportstar Extras T20 Time.
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WHERE TO WATCH IPL 2020 - CSK vs DC LIVE?
The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports network in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 1 Hindi. It will be live streamed on Star’s video on demand platform Disney+Hotstar.
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