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IMAGES from the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings played on Sunday in Visakhapatnam
Mahendra Singh Dhoni slammed an entertaining 37 from 16 balls but a clinical showing from their pace bowlers saw Delhi Capitals outclass champions Chennai Super Kings by 20 runs in the IPL 2024 match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Faced with a tough 192-run target, CSK tried to scale it down through Ajinkya Rahane (45) and Daryl Mitchell (34) but the DC pacers bowled with great discipline to bowl their team to the first victory of the season after two defeats at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Rishabh Pant smashed a much-awaited fifty (51 from 32 balls) after David Warner's quickfire half-century (53 from 35 balls) to power Delhi Capitals to an imposing 191/5 in their 20 overs, despite Matheesha Pathirana's fiery spell of 3/31 in four overs.
Pant, who came into the tournament after recovering from a life-threatening road mishap in December 2022, belted four boundaries and three maximums for his first fifty in 15 months.
Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed (2/21) set the tone for DC's defence with his twin strikes in the Power Play which led to its fruition by pacer Mukesh Kumar (3/21).
While Ruturaj Gaikwad's (1) trouble against left-arm seamers continued as he was done in by a superb inswinger caught behind off Pant, a frustrated Rachin Ravindra (2) holed out to Tristan Stubbs after a 12-ball stay as CSK slumped to 32/2 in six overs.
Rahane and Mitchell provided some stability with a 68-run stand, which included a 17-run over off DC's impact sub Rasikh Salam's second over but left-arm spinner Axar Patel ousted the New Zealander to break the alliance.
It was a Mukesh show thereafter as coming on to bowl after the 13th over, he struck twice in two balls to remove Rahane and Sameer Rizvi (0), leaving CSK reeling at 102/5 in the 14th over.
Shivam Dube (18) was next to go as Mukesh kept bowling wide outside off and varied the pace as the batter eventually sent one straight to long-off.
With CSK needing 58 off 18 balls, Dhoni walked out to bat for the first time this season amid chants of 'Dhoni Dhoni' and treated his fans to some delightful shots.
The former CSK skipper blasted two fours in the first three balls with Ahmed dropping a sitter in the second ball.
Dhoni then clobbered a six over extra cover off Ahmed, who ended up with three wides to concede 12 runs but Mukesh conceded just five runs in the 19th over to crush CSK's dream, leaving them to make an impossible 41 off the last over.
Dhoni turned back the clock with some blistering shots in the final over bowled by Anrich Nortje. He gave his fans enough to cheer with a four and a one-handed six off the first two balls before producing another four and a last-ball six.
However, the assault came a bit too late for CSK, who finished on 171/6 in their 20 overs.
Earlier, the in-form Warner slammed five boundaries and three maximums during his 35-ball 52, while Shaw, playing his first game this season, smashed two sixes and four boundaries in his 27-ball 43 to give DC the perfect start.
Opting to bat, Warner and Shaw shared a 93-run opening stand but the highlight of the day was Pant's 32-ball 51, which gave them the impetus in the end.
Pant, who came into the tournament after recovering from a life-threatening road mishap in December 2022, belted four boundaries and three maximums for his first fifty in 15 months.
The in-form Warner slammed five boundaries and three maximums during his 35-ball 52, his 110th T20 fifty, which equalled Chris Gayle's record of most fifty-plus scores in T20s.
Playing his first game this season, Shaw, who hasn't been able to live up to his immense talent, once again reminded everyone of his boundary-hitting skills, smashing two sixes and four boundaries in his 27-ball 43.
However, pacer Matheesha Pathirana produced a sensational catch to dismiss Warner and then returned to strike twice in three balls to bring CSK back into the game.
But Pant, who has looked good in his two earlier innings, bide his time initially and then exploded to take them close to a 200-total.
Mitchell Marsh too blasted two fours and a six in his 12-ball 18 cameo.
Earlier, while Tushar Deshpande used his variations to good use to gave just eight in his first two overs, Deepak Chahar, who bowled his 3 overs in the powerplay, was milked by the DC openers.
It was mainly Warner who picked Chahar for the special treatment, depositing him twice into the stands on the leg side, punishing him for bowling into his pads.
He was particularly harsh on Chahar in the 5th over, as after a second six, he hit two fours on the off side to accumulate 18 off the over as DC made 42 in 5 overs.
Bowling the last over before powerplay, Mustafizur Rahman too was taken to the cleaners with Shaw hitting three successive fours as DC posted their highest powerplay score of 62-0 of this IPL.
Ravindra Jadeja was next welcomed with a six by Shaw before Warner pulled one across deep backward square leg for a boundary as 13 runs came off the over.
Pathirana bowled a good first over, hitting 145-plus consistently with his sling action.
However, Warner smacked Jadeja next over long-on before completing his fifty off 32 balls.
It took the brilliance of Pathirana to send him back as the Sri Lankan plucked the ball from thin air to complete a sensational catch, leaving Warner stunned as Mustafizur earned first blood.
Shaw smashed another six to take DC past the 100-run mark but Jadeja dismissed him next ball, inducing an edge as MS Dhoni did the rest for his 300th dismissal -- the highest by a keeper in T20s.
With the two openers gone, the scoring rate dropped as skipper Pant struggled.
Pathirana then put up a show, uprooting the middle-stump of Marsh and then disturbing the timbers of Tristan Stubbs in a space of three balls to leave DC at 134 for 4 in 15 overs.
Pant then stepped up, plundering a four and a six off Mustafizur and then launched into Pathirana, clobbering him for a six and two fours in the 19th over before holing out in the deep.