A late cameo by captain M.S. Dhoni and disciplined bowling enabled the Chennai Super Kings beat the Delhi Capitals by 27 runs on Wednesday. This victory moved the CSK closer to a spot in the Indian Premier League play-offs.
Dhoni, who scored 20 off nine balls, and Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 21, had a crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 38 runs, which helped lead Chennai to a score of 167-8.
Chennai have maintained their second place position in the 10-team table with seven wins in 12 matches thanks to the quick bowling of Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana, who took three wickets to help limit Delhi’s score to 140-8.
The Delhi franchise, which is led by David Warner and began the season with five defeats, is still buried at the bottom of the standings and is virtually eliminated from contention for the play-offs.
The top four clubs in the standings will advance to the play-offs.
Left-handed Warner was bowled by Deepak Chahar on the second delivery of Delhi’s chase, and he was out for a duck. Chahar was also responsible for sending back Phil Salt, who had won the previous match, for 17.
Mitchell Marsh, an all-rounder from Australia, went out for five when he was run out, but impact sub Manish Pandey and Rilee Rossouw had a 59-run partnership together in an effort to resurrect the chase before impact player Pathirana broke through.
Pathirana, an up-and-coming Sri Lankan speedster who has earned the nick name “Baby Malinga” for his slinging action that is similar to that of the former pace ace Lasith Malinga, pinned Pandey leg before wicket with his trademark yorker and finished with the figures of 3-37.
Left-arm spinner Jadeja was able to dismiss Rossouw with his delivery, which was a blow to the pursuit. Despite a valiant effort by Axar Patel (21), Delhi was ultimately unsuccessful.
Before Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu stood out in an attacking partnership of 36, earlier on Chennai lost regular wickets. Shivam Dube struck 25 runs off 12 balls, while Ambati Rayudu hit 23 runs.
However, it was Dhoni and the left-handed Jadeja who put the pressure on the other team with their late blitz, which resulted in Chennai scoring 39 runs in the last three overs of their innings.
With two sixes off of left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed, the 41-year-old Dhoni, who is widely believed to be participating in the Indian Premier League for the final time as a player, amped up the volume of the nearly sold-out crowd.
Dhoni has guided Chennai to four victories in the Indian Premier League and is drawing enormous audiences at all of India’s stadiums because to his success.