IPL recap: When Dhoni went berserk against Delhi Capitals

Having orchestrated a collapse on a typical Chepauk wicket, CSK skipper MS Dhoni lit the stadium with a brilliant cameo to see his side home.

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni plays a shot during his knock against Delhi Capitals.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck a quickfire 44 off 22 balls as Chennai Super Kings thumped Delhi Capitals by 80 runs at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

On a typical Chennai pitch, with cracks and not a hint of grass, CSK spinners triggered a collapse which saw Delhi lose eight wickets for 47.

 

Chasing 180, Delhi lost opener Prithvi Shaw in the very first over with Deepak Chahar earning a breakthrough with the new ball.

Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer put up a strong fight but Dhawan's dismissal off Harbhajan Singh hastened the visitor's slide to defeat.

Walk in the park

Openers Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson scored brisk half-centuries as CSK marched into an eighth IPL final with a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.

After a disciplined bowling effort had helped restrict Delhi to 147, CSK cantered home with six balls to spare at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

 

Earlier, Delhi struggled for momentum after being put in to bat. CSK bowled 47 dot balls in all, and the first six of the innings wasn’t struck until the 16th over. Delhi’s opening pair was separated quickly.

Only 41 were scored in the PowerPlay, and with spin from both ends, life was not easy. Rishabh Pant batted for nearly an hour, facing 25 balls, but managed only two fours and a six. He was dismissed for a 25-ball-38, caught at long-on off Deepak Chahar.

Head to Head

Matches – 21

Chennai Super Kings – 15

Delhi Capitals – 6.