Tata IPL 2024 Match 13, DC Vs CSK – Match Report

April 2, 2024

Delhi Capitals (DC) secured their debut points in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with a 20-run victory. The match, held at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, showcased DC’s impressive all-round performance, which proved pivotal in overcoming the formidable CSK team.

In favorable batting conditions at their home ground, DC chose to bat after winning the toss. Prithvi Shaw was included in the playing XI instead of Ricky Bhui and partnered with David Warner as the opening batsmen. Initially, the DC openers played cautiously, assessing the CSK bowling attack. After the first four overs, they had reached a score of 24 runs.

In Deepak Chahar’s third over in the power play, DC’s batters chose to increase their run rate, adding 18 runs to the scoreboard. Warner’s impressive scoop behind square for six stood out during this period. Mustafizur Rahman then bowled the final over of the power play. Shaw joined Warner in aggressive batting, hitting three boundaries in an over that yielded 20 runs. By the end of the sixth over, DC had surged to 62 without losing any wickets.

The aggressive batting persisted beyond the powerplay as Shaw greeted Ravindra Jadeja with a six over long-on. DC kept up a run rate of over 10 runs per over. It was during this period that Matheesha Pathirana made an impact in the game, aiding CSK in staging a comeback.

Pathirana’s initial impact didn’t come from his unconventional bowling style but from a remarkable fielding effort. During the 10th over, Warner attempted a reverse-scoop off Mustafizur towards third-man. Pathirana, positioned at short third-man, made a stunning dive to his right and caught the ball brilliantly. This spectacular catch left the batsman stunned. In the subsequent over, Shaw edged a delivery from Jadeja to MS Dhoni’s gloves, immediately after hitting a six.

Rishabh Pant and Mitchell Marsh began a recovery effort in the following overs. Although they managed to score boundaries at times, the run rate decreased compared to the earlier phase. Pathirana entered the attack during the 15th over. Marsh fell victim to Pathirana’s signature slinging yorker, which sneaked under his bat and dismantled the stumps. Shortly after, Tristan Stubbs was also outfoxed by another toe-crushing delivery. With DC at 134 for four after 15 overs, they faced a challenging task in the final five overs.

At this point, Pant assumed control and unleashed his aggressive strokeplay. In the subsequent overs, he shifted gears gradually, launching attacks on both Mustafizur and Pathirana. Pant hit a six off Mustafizur’s bowling and skillfully negotiated Pathirana’s attempted yorker in the 19th over, lofting it for another six over long-on. He followed this up with a couple of fours, crossing the fifty-run mark for the first time since his notable comeback. Despite his dismissal shortly after, Pant’s contributions were significant in helping DC reach a total of 191 runs.

CSK’s innings began with a turbulent start as Khaleel Ahmed generated considerable movement early on. In the opening over, Ruturaj Gaikwad inside-edged a delivery from outside the off stump, resulting in a catch by Pant. The initial overs proved challenging for run-scoring, as both Ishant Sharma and Khaleel maintained a tight line. CSK faced mounting pressure when Rachin Ravindra attempted to loft Khaleel in the third over but ended up skying the ball to mid-off. By the end of the powerplay, Khaleel had bowled three overs, taking both wickets while conceding just nine runs.

Ajinkya Rahane and Daryl Mitchell took charge of leading a recovery for the team. Rahane’s batting displayed positivity right from the start, hitting two boundaries off Ishant Sharma in the fourth over. His pull shot for six off Anrich Nortje was particularly noteworthy. Mitchell settled into his innings and then took on Axar Patel in the ninth over, lofting him for a massive six down the ground. After the first strategic timeout, CSK’s batsmen decided to accelerate. Rasikh Salam, substituting for Shaw as the Impact Player, was targeted for two sixes as CSK signaled their aggressive intent. However, Axar Patel struck back in the following over, dismissing Mitchell caught and bowled.

Rahane was holding the innings together and was comfortably progressing into his forties. However, in the 14th over, Mukesh Kumar struck twice, dismissing Rahane caught at long-on and Sameer Rizvi caught at short third-man off the first ball he faced. This marked the turning point as DC’s bowlers started applying pressure effectively.

CSK faced an increasing required run rate as they entered the slog overs. The challenge intensified when Shivam Dube was caught at long-off in the 17th over, giving Mukesh his third wicket. This brought Dhoni to the crease, welcomed by enthusiastic fans. He immediately pleased them with two boundaries. In the next over, Dhoni effortlessly lofted a delivery over cover for a substantial six off Khaleel.

Mukesh’s exceptional performance, taking three wickets for 21 runs, in the penultimate over effectively eliminated any slim chance CSK had of a comeback. Dhoni, scoring an entertaining 37 not out off 16 balls, delighted the spectators with a flurry of boundaries in the final over, hitting 4,6,4,6 against Nortje. However, despite Dhoni’s late fireworks, CSK fell short by 20 runs as DC secured victory.

Please click to see the report: