Images from the IPL 2025 match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.
Delhi Capitals' juggernaut continued unabated in IPL 2025 as they rode on K L Rahul's exemplary batting and some disciplined bowling to register their third successive win.
DC outclassed CSK with both bat and ball to register an emphatic 25-run victory -- their first victory in Chennai in 15 years.
Delhi Capitals jumped to the top of the standings after winning their first three matches, while CSK are eighth with just one victory from four matches played.
Electing to bat, DC posted 183/6 after Rahul mixed his trademark elegance with brute force during a 51-ball 77. The stylish right-hander struck six fours and three sixes while anchoring the innings.
Tristan Stubbs chipped in with an unbeaten 12-ball 24 before Matheesha Pathirana (1/31) bowled a brilliant final over to prevent DC from finishing their innings on a high.
The CSK batting line-up once again failed to live up to expectations as they finished on 158/5 in their 20 overs, much to the disappointment of their home crowd that had flocked to the venue to pack the stands.
Vijay Shankar top-scored for CSK with 69 off 54 balls, while veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni was unbeaten on a sedate 30 from 26 deliveries, having hit just one six and a four.
CSK lost three wickets inside the Powerplay, leaving the rest of the batting to play catch-up on a challenging wicket.
With the in-form Mitchell Starc (1/27) steaming in and Mukesh Kumar (1/36) keeping it tight at the other end, CSK found the going tough and both bowlers enjoyed early success.
Mukesh got the early breakthrough for DC when he had Rachin Ravindra caught and bowled for three before Starc dismissed CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad for 5.
Devon Conway (13), one of the crowd favourites who replaced Jamie Overton in this match, too fell cheaply after getting a leading edge while trying to work the ball over midwicket. Young leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam (2/27) was the successful bowler on that occasion, as CSK slipped to 41/3 in the sixth over.
After taking a fine catch to dismiss Shivam Dube, Tristan Stubbs dropped a sitter off Vijay Shankar, when the batter was on 27 and looking to accelerate with senior pro Dhoni at the other end.
Dhoni, whose decision to bat at number 9 against Royal Challengers was not well-received by fans, walked in at No 7 but he was not able to get those big hits going, as the visitors registered an easy victory.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals suffered a jolt at the start of their innings thanks to an excellent first over from Khaleel Ahmed (2/25), who had big-hitting opener Jake Fraser-McGurk caught after putting him under pressure with four dot balls.
Credit to Khaleel for plotting Fraser-McGurk's dismissal by banging the ball on the good length. Notwithstanding the early jitter, DC managed to score 51 runs in the Powerplay and that was largely because of the enterprise shown by Abhishek Porel (33 off 20 balls), who collected 19 runs from left-arm fast-medium bowler Mukesh Choudhary's first over.
Playing this game in place of Rahul Tripathi, Choudhary struggled to get his length right and was bowling either too full of too short, and Porel took full advantage of some wayward bowling.
Khaleel returned to bowl another fine over and Choudhary too did much better in his second over.
K L Rahul broke the shackles with a six over deep square leg off Khaleel before CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad introduced spin in the form of the seasoned Ravichandran Ashwin in the sixth over, hoping for a wicket.
The much-needed breakthrough, however, came in the next over as Porel ended up giving an easy catch to Matheesha Pathirana after driving Ravindra Jadeja uppishly in the left-arm spinner's first over.
It was a soft dismissal, and Porel would be frustrated with it as he was looking good for a big one after having settled down nicely at Chepauk.
Axar Patel began his innings with a six over long-on off Jadeja but, like Porel, the DC skipper too got out after getting his eye in, for a 14-ball 21.
On either side of Axar's dismissal, Rahul struck two sixes off Noor Ahmad and Jadeja respectively, before reaching his 38th IPL fifty off 33 balls.
Rahul found an able ally in Sameer Rizvi (20 off 15 balls) as the duo added 56 runs for the fourth wicket in quick time.
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