CSK vs DC Highlights, IPL 2023: CSK 223/3 (20) beats DC 146/9 (20) by 77 runs, enters Playoffs

Chennai rode on wonderful knocks from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway who hit brilliant half-centuries to record a massive win over Delhi and qualify for the Playoffs, booking the second spot in the points table. Defending 224 runs, Deepak Chahar provided the perfect start and picked a three-wicket haul with Pathirana taking two wickets. Theekshana picked two wickets right at the end as CSK hammered DC by 77 runs.

Pathirana picks his second wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad putting an excellent dive at long-on to pack off Warner and the Delhi skipper falls for a brilliant 86 off 58 deliveries and his knock was studded with seven hits to the fence and five sixes. Chennai inching closer to recording a huge win.

What a wonderful knock Warner has played and gave Delhi a genuine chance but lacked support from the other end. The slow start cost Delhi the run chase. The Delhi skipper is batting on 86 off 56 balls.

Pathirana picks his first wicket by removing Aman Hakim Khan who throws his bat away trying to fetch a boundary but only gives a simple catch to covers. Chennai fans will be very pleased and soon there will be celebrations as the men in yellow have one foot in the Playoffs as Delhi needs 87 runs in 18 balls.

Deshpande is back into the attack with Chennai taking a closer step towards booking a Playoffs berth. The required rate has soared up to 22.72 against the current rate of 7.69. Delhi needs 93 runs from 24 balls.

Pathirana continues and the bowler with a sling action like that of Malinga has bowled well and the match is slowly getting away from the grasp of Delhi with Warner playing a lone hand as Pathirana gives just six runs from his over.

Chahar picks his third wicket as Axar Patel falls. A slower bouncer and the all-rounder hit one straight to Gaikwad at long-on. Chennai taking further control over the game. This is excellent bowling from Chahar as he finishes with 4-0-22-3.

Axar hits Jadeja straight over the bowler’s head for a maximum and then Warner smacks the bowler for a boundary followed by a maximum over the cow corner. A left-hander bowling to left-handers is slightly difficult as Warner employs a switch hit for another maximum over the third man boundary. Jadeja finishes his spell and proved expensive as he registered figures of 4-0-50-1.

Pathirana into the attack with Delhi needing 148 runs in 54 balls. Axar drives the pacer for a boundary to start the over but the bowler comes back well by pulling things back to finish the over on a good note.

The required rate is 15.96 against the current rate of 7.03 and Jadeja pushes Delhi further into trouble by removing Yash Dhull who throws his bat away only to get a leading edge and Deshpande takes a simple catch. Axar joins Warner and is off the mark with a single.

Warner has decided to throw his bat at almost everything as Theekshana continues after the time-out. Warner clears the infield as he drives the spinner over the extra cover for a boundary and gets to his half-century that has come in 32 balls. Excellent knock but Delhi needs a couple of big overs to come back into the game.

Warner smokes one out of the ground as the skipper latches on to a quicker one and dragged from outside the off and deposits Jadeja over the deep and then a smash over the bowler’s head for a boundary to keep Delhi in the hunt.

Theekshana continues as Dhoni employs spin from both ends. Both batsmen have used their feet to counter the spin of Theekshana but haven’t been able to clear the infield and find the gaps. The required rate is climbing and either of the batsmen has to take a calculated risk and up the ante.

Dhull welcomes Jadeja into the attack with a boundary as the bowler starts with a short and wide delivery and the batsman was quick to put the ball through the backward point. The all-rounder pulls back things by correcting his line and gave nine runs from his opening over.

Theekshana starts well but Warner spoiled the over by dispatching the spinner over the deep mid-wicket boundary for a maximum. But with Chahar striking inside the PowerPlay, Chennai is taking huge strides towards booking a spot in the Playoffs.

Warner gets going and this time he skips down the track to muscle Chahar for a maximum over the long-on region and then fetches a boundary by tonking the bowler over the mid-on. However, Chahar strikes once again inside the PowerPlay by removing Salt with a slower one as the batsman hit straight to Rahane at extra cover. Rilee Rossouw walks in and walks back after getting a thick inside edge as Chahar picks his second wicket. Yash Dhull joins Warner and denies Chahar a hat-trick by defending a length delivery.

Warner gets a boundary as he dispatched a delivery that was bowled on the pads through the mid-wicket for a boundary but Deshpande comes back strongly to finish the over on a good note.

Excellent over from Chahar as he bowls yet another economical over and Warner finally found the gap to get off the mark after facing five deliveries. Conway exhibited his footy skills by putting a dive and saving a certain boundary.

Ambati Rayudu pulls off a spectacular catch at mid-off to remove Prithvi Shaw who fails to make an Impact as Deshpande strikes early. The batsman drives the fast bowler uppishly and Rayudu, stationed at mid-off flies to his right to pluck a brilliant catch. Phil Salt joins Warner.

A wonderful shot through the square leg gets Shaw off the mark as Chahar finds a hint of swing. Warner is yet to get off the mark as Chahar ends the first over with a peach of a delivery that shaped away from the left-hander.

We are back for the chase and Prithvi Shaw is the Impact Substitute in place of Khaleel Ahmed. Matheesana Pathirana is the Impact sub in place of Shivam Dube. Warner and Shaw in the middle and it will be Deepak Chahar with the new ball.

Top batting from Jadeja as he fetches two consecutive boundaries and foils Sakariya’s tactics of bowling wide of the off-stump. Jadeja plays an important cameo scoring 20 off 7 balls and Sakaraiya felt the pressure by bowling a no-ball and a wide. Dhoni failed to connect the final ball but Chennai finished on a high posting a daunting total of 223 for the loss of three wickets riding on half-centuries from Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Conway falls for a 52-ball 87 as the opener mistimes a shot while trying to go for a maximum but what a brilliant knock this has been. Jadeja joins Dhoni and gets off the mark with a single and so as the Chennai skipper who went hard, trying to hit Nortje but couldn’t connect well. Jadeja then smoked the bowler high and handsome over the long-on for a maximum and then a square cut for a boundary to bring the 200 up for Chennai.

Shivam Dube attacks and the left-hander welcomes Khaleel with a six over the deep mid-wicket and then got underneath the ball to smoke the bowler straight down the ground for a huge maximum. The fifty-run partnership is up in 22 balls but Dube’s *innings came to an end with a big hit not getting the required distance as Khaleel finally has a wicket.

Conway gets his wrists into play and flicks Nortje into the deep backward square leg stand and that’s a brilliant shot from the opener after a scoop didn’t come out the way he wanted. Chennai ready for the final flourish.

Conway welcomes Lalit Yadav with a boundary to bring the 150 up for Chennai as he nailed the spinner straight down the ground for a powerful boundary. Dube then got into the act as he lofted a short ball from Dube over the long-on for a maximum as Warner is running out of ideas as a chip over the bowler’s head saw the ball race into the fence.

Sakariya finally breaks the opening partnership of 141 runs as he removes Gaikwad who fell for a brilliant 50-ball 79 and his knock was laced with seven sixes and three boundaries. Conway continues to torment the bowlers as Shivam Dube comes out with Chennai looking to further up the ante.

Conway reaches his half-century in style with a six as he smokes Khaleel over the deep mid-wicket and then exhibits a pull through the mid-wicket. This has been a superb batting show from the Chennai opener.

There is no stopping Gaikwad as this time he slams Nortje over the deep by depositing the short ball over the ropes for another maximum. Going by this rate, a century is on the horizon for the Chennai opener.

Ruturaj continues his fine batting form as he goes downtown by hammering Kuldeep for a huge six over long-off and then depositing the googly over the deep mid-wicket. The batsman then recorded a hat-trick of sixes by going down on one knee and smoking the spinner over the long-on. This is a huge over from Chennai’s perspective.

Devon Conway gets into the act by smashing Sakariya for two consecutive boundaries but the bowler almost had the opener caught behind but the edge fell short of the diving keeper.

Gaikwad breaks away from the shackles as he picks a short delivery and dispatches the spinner for a huge maximum over the deep mid-wicket for a maximum and then rocked back to loft the spinner over the deep for a second maximum in the over. The batsman notched a brilliant 50 off 37 balls with a single to the long-off region.

Kuldeep Yadav created an opportunity to dismiss Gaikwad as the batsman got a leading edge but the ball evaded the fielder at extra cover. Another good over and the Delhi spinners are tightening the screws and have dried up the boundaries. Excellent stuff.

Good over from Axar Patel as the spinner keeps the batsmen in check and gives just six with Gaikwad exhibiting his fine form with a beautiful inside-out shot that resulted in a couple.

Kuldeep Yadav into the attack and Gaikwad hammered a long hop from the wrist spinner through the mid-wicket for a boundary. Eight runs from Kuldeep’s over.

That’s the end of the PowerPlay and the Chennai openers have done well to give their team a bright start. Sakariya bowls a brilliant over by not conceding a boundary and gives just two runs from his opening over.

The boundaries continue to flow for Chennai as this time Conway dispatches Nortje to the fine leg boundary and then brought the fifty-run partnership with a superb shot straight down the ground and the timing was immaculate.

Axar comes early into the attack and Gaikward welcomes the spinner with a beautiful inside-out shot as the ball flew wide of the cover region for a maximum. A single to finish the over and Chennai going strong inside the PowerPlay.

Khaleel bowls a good over by mixing his deliveries with a delivery shaping away from the batsman and then banging in one short as Gaikwad ducked the short ball. Conway, however, spoils the over with a flick to the deep square leg boundary and then ended the over with a boundary to the deep backward point.

Conway opens his account by dancing down the track and drills Lalit straight into the sightscreen with Gaikwad smashing the spinner for a boundary through the mid-wicket. Excellent start for Chennai.

Gaikwad is off the mark straightaway with a single to the mid-wicket region and then pockets his first boundary of the match with a beautiful drive, riding on the bounce of Khaleel to guide the ball past the square leg region. Good start from CSK.

Right then the Delhi outfit is on the field and out walk the Chennai openers. Devon Conway has struggled just a bit in the last few games but Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in good touch. It will be Khaleel Ahmed with the new ball. Here we go!

Matheesha Pathirana, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh

Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar, Praveen Dubey, Ripal Patel, Abishek Porel

David Warner(c), Philip Salt(w), Rilee Rossouw, Yash Dhull, Aman Hakim Khan, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Anrich Nortje

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana

“We will bat. We’ve been trying to win games right from the first game. We’re playing the same XI, it’s a balanced eleven and we don’t need to make many changes. Day game, the pitch will also slow down as the match progresses, that’s the reason we wanted to bat first. In a tournament like this, we’ll have good and bad games, need to take the learnings from every game and that’s what I want the youngsters to learn.”

Chennai Super Kings wins toss, opts to bat first

Matches played: 28

Chennai Super Kings won: 18

Delhi Capitals won: 10

Last result: Chennai Super Kings won by 27 runs

David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Phil Salt, Rilee Rossouw, Sarfaraz Khan, Yash Dhull, Axar Patel, Aman Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Nishant Sindhu, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Sisanda Magala, Ben Stokes, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, RS Hangargekar, Bhagath Varma, Simarjeet Singh

David Warner(c), Prithvi Shaw, Philip Salt(w), Rilee Rossouw, Axar Patel, Aman Hakim Khan, Yash Dhull, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Sarfaraz Khan, Abishek Porel, Ripal Patel, Praveen Dubey, Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Mustafizur Rahman, Lalit Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Rovman Powell, Priyam Garg, Chetan Sakariya, Vicky Ostwal