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Chennai Super Kings enjoy an envious record when it comes to IPL Play-Offs. The four-time champions have made it to the last four stage of 12 out of 14 tournaments -- the most by any team in the IPL.
After their disappointing showing last season when they finished ninth, CSK have bounced back in grand style to make it to the Play-Offs with eight wins out of 14 games.
CSK proved they are the team for the big occasion as they trounced Delhi Capitals by 77 runs in their must-win last league match of the season.
Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway gave CSK the perfect start as they went on the attack right from the start to make most of the Powerplay.
Delhi's move to bowl part-time off-spinner Lalit Yadav only helped CSK set the tone as he was hit for a four and a six by Gaikwad and Conway respectively.
The Kiwi left-hander then slammed Khaleel Ahmed for a couple of fours in the third over while Gaikwad played a superb inside out lofted shot off Axar Patel for a six over the covers.
Anrich Nortje's extra pace was no bother for Conway on a flat wicket at the Arun Jaitley stadium as he welcomed the South African with back to back fours in the fifth over, as CSK raced to 50 in the fifth over -- the eighth 50-run stand between the two openers.
Delhi looked to exert some control after the Powerplay as just 22 came from five overs before Gaikwad broke the shackles in grand style, hitting Axar for two sixes in a row, before a single brought up his third fifty of IPL 2023, from 37 balls.
The CSK right-hander took full toll of the spinners in the middle overs. He demolished Kuldeep Yadav with a hat-trick of sixes, in the 12th over. The spinner's gamble of enticing the batters with extra flight only backfired as Gaikwad showed his range with two sixes down the ground and one over midwicket.
The 20-run over also saw CSK race past 100 in the 12th over -- the fourth century opening stand between the Kiwi and the Indian.
Gaikwad perished for a terrific 79 from 50 balls, laced with seven sixes and three fours, after he had put on 141 runs from just 87 balls with Conway -- the fourth highest opening stand this season.
Conway continued in the same vein. He pulled Nortje for a six over square leg following a boundary off the edge, while Shivam Dube showed his power with back to back sixes off Khaleel in the 18th over.
Conway was unlucky to miss out on a century as he fell for a splendid 87 from 52 balls in the 19th over. This was the second time he had fallen in the 80s this season, while also scoring 92 not out against Punjab Kings earlier this season.
Conway is CSK's highest run-getter with 585 runs in 14 games, hitting six fifties, at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 138.
With Ravindra Jadeja smashing 20 from seven balls, CSK finished on a huge 223/3.
The struggling Delhi Capitals, already looking jaded and tired, showed no fight at all with the bat.
Prithvi Shaw endured another failure as he fell to Tushar Deshpande for five in the second over, while Deepak Chahar finished off Delhi's hopes with the wicket of their two big overseas stars in the fifth over.
He got Phil Salt caught in the covers for three before dismissing Rilee Russouw off the very next delivery, bowled off an inside edge for a duck.
Chahar, who has had frequent injury breaks in the last couple of years, has picked up 10 wickets in the last four games and could turn out to be a major player for CSK in the Play-Offs.
Chasing 224, Delhi disintegrated in the Powerplay itself as they were reduced to 34/3 in six overs.
Captain David Warner salvaged some pride for the hosts in front of their home fans, scoring 86 from 58 balls -- the only DC batter to score above 20.
Though Delhi had another forgettable season, Warner finished with 516 runs in 14 matches with six fifties -- the seventh time he has gone past 500 runs in a season -- the most by an batter in the IPL.