CSK vs DC Highlights and Match Recap, IPL 2019 Qualifier 2, Full Cricket score: Clinical Super Kings win by six wickets; will take on MI in final

Another year, another final for CSK. They dessimated Delhi today with their all round superiority. They picked wickets at regular intervals to keep DC under 150. With the bat, Faf led the way with his intent on the powerplay pulling Watson along with him who capitalized on his start to make it really easy for the middle order in the end. DC were probably a bit nervous facing a team that has had a wood over them this season. In the end, those calm heads in the yellow shirt proved decisive against some over eager DC youngsters.

Faf du Plessis is the Man of the Match for his 50 off 39 balls

Faf: Didn’t have the best run in the last five or six games, but we do have a lot of confidence as a team that has been in a lot of big games. The wicket looked really good two nights ago, and we were expecting the wicket to be nice upfront. We know the strength of ours is to extend the partnership. Even if we go four overs without too many runs, we have a fantastic hitting tank at the back to catch right up. He (Watson) did thank me already. Hopefully next game both of us can just find the middle of our bat from ball one. Great to be in another final for Chennai. I had to laugh at myself because it was terrible running. After that we could settle.

MS Dhoni, CSK captain: It is usual route, Last year was an exception. I think the kind of response the boys game was brilliant. The wicket might be slightly difficult at the start. The groundsmen feel objiged to water the wicket in the start. It is important to get the openers out whether it is Prithvi or Shikhar. It is important to take timely wickets. Crucial part was to take wickets. The credit needs to go to them. The captain only asks them. Experience really counts and they have to put the hards to stay fit for close to 45-50 days. I think thanks to the bowling department for the place we are now. I would have preferred the openers to score few more runs. They did the hard yards to get out the first three overs.

Shane Watson (50 off 32 balls): Bit nervous (at the start of the innings). Just one of those nights where it’s just meant to me. Just the faith of CSK in me continued to show. Nice it all worked out tonight. Faf batted beautifully to get our innings underway. Took me a while to find my rhythm. I took a couple of balls to find my feet. Faf helped me through that stage. That’s the beauty of cricket. You rely on teammates. There are huge positives about age and experience. When you’ve got experienced players, you’ve got a better understanding of what to do. They’ve (Mumbai Indians) got a great team, they always have. Will be a great challenge for us. We can’t wait for Sunday. (MSD) He’s an amazing person, not just as a cricketer. I’ve learned a hell of a lot from him. Some runs to contribute (in the final) to will be nice.

Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals captain: We didn’t get as many runs as we expected. We lost two wickets in the Powerplay, and it was very difficult after that. Was a great season for us. Coming from Delhi, where the wicket was slow, the wicket was quite similar. None of the batsmen, though took the initiative to take the batsmen through. Disappointed, but great learning for us. Home games we didn’t win that much, but can’t really complain much. Wickets we practiced on in Delhi, has an uneven bounce. Got nothing to say about the wicket as a professional. (On captaincy) I’ve learned a lot, looking at seniors such as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma. Proud moment for me. Learning a lot from my teammates as well. As a captain, you get to know your management a lot as well. It’s not an easy job to do, but I’ll take it anyday. The way we came out this year, everybody took the initiative. Loved the way we gelled as a unit. It’s been a dream season for us, and it’s just the start. Now it’s time for us to grow.

This is the fourth MI-CSK IPL final. CSK won in 2010 while MI won in 2013 and 2015.

MS Dhoni has now 16 matches against Delhi as a captain – the most for a captain against an opponent. The previous record was with Dhoni himself – 15 v RCB

CSK become the second team to win 100-plus IPL matches after Mumbai Indians.

This will be their 8th IPL final out of 10 seasons.

After 19 overs,Chennai Super Kings 151/4 ( Ambati Rayudu 20 , Dwayne Bravo 4)

Ishant bowls the penultimate over, and starts off with a dot to Dhoni. MS then lobs a full toss down the ground for a brace, with Munro saving a couple of runs for Delhi, leaving Chennai just two to win. Dot off the third. Dhoni then gets caught at deep midwicket while looking for a glory shot off the fourth. Rayudu collects a single off the fifth to level the scores, before Bravo collects the winning boundary off the final delivery of the over. 

Chennai Super Kings win by six wickets, and will now meet Mumbai Indians in the final for the fourth time in the IPL. This is CSK’s eight final appearance in the 10 editions that they have played till date. Talk about consistency!

FOUR! Dwayne Bravo collects the winning boundary, tickling the short ball from Ishant towards the fine leg fence!

CSK 151/4, win by six wickets with as many deliveries to spare!

OUT! MS Dhoni departs with Chennai needing just two more to win. Dhoni looks for the glory shot, pulling towards deep midwicket on the front foot, only for Keemo Paul to collect the ball safely in the end. CSK 146/4

MS Dhoni c Paul b Ishant 9(9)

After 18 overs,Chennai Super Kings 144/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 19 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 7)

Keemo Paul bowls the 18th. Leg bye conceded at the start of the over, before Rayudu tickles the ball towards fine-leg for a boundary to bring the equation down to single digits. Couple of dots, before Rayudu slashes the ball between two fielders on the off side to get Chennai closer to the target. Nine off the over, Keemo Paul’s best of the evening, though that hardly helps Delhi’s cause. CSK need 4 off 12.

FOUR! Slashed hard through the gap between backward point and short third man by Rayudu off Paul! CSK 144/3, need four to win off 13 balls

FOUR! Tickled away towards the fine-leg fence by Rayudu off Paul, with the equation for CSK now coming down to single digits! CSK 140/3

After 17 overs,Chennai Super Kings 135/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 11 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 7)

Rayudu collects a single at the start of Boult’s third over, bringing MS Dhoni on strike, with the crowd increasing the decibels as he gears up to face his first delivery. Dhoni starts off with a dot, but collects a four and a brace off the next two balls to keep the required rate well in check. Brings Rayudu on strike by collecting a single off the penultimate ball. Dot to end the over. CSK need 13 off 18.

FOUR! Dhoni gets off the mark with a four, guiding a back-of-length delivery from Boult towards the fine leg fence! CSK 132/3

MS Dhoni has scored 130 runs from four innings at an average of 65.00 at Vizag in T20s.

MS Dhoni has amassed 563 runs from 21 innings at an average of 37.53 against Delhi in IPL.

After 16 overs,Chennai Super Kings 127/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 10 , )

Raina swings and misses at the start of Axar’s final over, and gets an inside edge that guides the ball towards fine leg for a brace off the next. Rayudu then collects a boundary off an inside-out lofted shot two deliveries later to guide Chennai closer to the target. Axar through, strikes off his last delivery of the evening, dismissing Raina for 11. Timeout signalled by the umpire. CSK need 21 off 24.

OUT! Raina’s uncomfortable stay at the crease comes to an end as he chops the ball onto his stumps to depart for 11! Wicket for Axar off his very last delivery of the evening. Huge roar from the Vizag crowd, who now expect Dhoni to walk out next. CSK 127/3

Raina b Axar 11(13)

FOUR! First boundary for Ambati Rayudu, shuffling down the track and lofting inside out over deep extra cover. CSK 126/2

After 15 overs,Chennai Super Kings 119/2 ( Suresh Raina 8 , Ambati Rayudu 5)

Rayudu heaves the ball towards deep midwicket at the start of Mishra’s final over, collecting just a single. Single to Raina off the second. Dot off the next two balls, followed by two more singles. Four runs of the over, as Mishra signs off with 1/21 from his quota. CSK need 29 off 30.

After 14 overs,Chennai Super Kings 115/2 ( Suresh Raina 6 , Ambati Rayudu 3)

Tidy over from Axar, with just four singles coming off it. Raina and Rayudu, the two new batsmen at the crease, are taking their time to get settled at the centre. Still less than run-a-ball for the Super Kings, who need 33 off 36.

After 13 overs,Chennai Super Kings 111/2 ( Suresh Raina 4 , Ambati Rayudu 1)

Mishra removes Watson off his second delivery, the latter mis-hitting the ball towards long off where Boult holds on to the catch. Rayudu walks out to bat and starts off with a leading edge, with the ball landing safely outside Mishra’s zone. The new batsman takes three balls to get off the mark, doing so with a single. Just three singles off Mishra’s third over along with Watson’s wicket. CSK need 37 off 42.

Ambati Rayudu has scored 326 runs at Vizag in T20s – the third most by any player.

Shane Watson today:

First 20 balls – 18 runs (SR – 90.00)
Next 11 balls – 32 runs (SR – 290.91)

OUT! Amit Mishra removes the other opener, with Watson getting caught by Boult at wide long off while looking for another maximum. He’s disappointed with his shot selection, and the fact that he won’t be around to see his side through. CSK 109/2

Watson c Boult b Mishra 50(32)

After 12 overs,Chennai Super Kings 108/1 ( Shane Watson 50 , Suresh Raina 2)

Watson puts Paul under pressure right away by collecting a six and a four off the first two deliveries. Paul then responds with a slower ball, one that is hit down the ground for a single. Single collected off the next two deliveries. Watson picks the slower one from Paul in the penultimate delivery, slog-sweeping it over wide long on for a maximum. An under-pressure Paul concedes a wide down the leg side in the penultimate delivery. Watson collects another six off the last ball to bring up his half-century, this one off 31 balls. 25 runs off Paul’s second over! CSK need 40 off 48.

SIX! Heaved down the ground by Watson, the ball airborne for quite some time before landing beyond long off. Fine way for Shane Watson to bring up his half-century, taking just 31 balls to complete the milestone, six less than what du Plessis took. CSK 108/1

SIX! Slog-swept over the wide long on fence by Watson off Paul, bringing up the 100 for the Chennai Super Kings! CSK 101/1

FOUR! Watson’s high on confidence, collecting a four right after hitting Paul for a six, this time pulling in front of square on the leg side. CSK 93/1

SIX! Short from Paul, angling into Watson’s body, and the Aussie pulls this over the fence behind square on the leg side! CSK 89/1

After 11 overs,Chennai Super Kings 83/1 ( Shane Watson 27 , Suresh Raina 1)

Boult returns to the attack, and he gets Delhi their much-needed breakthrough, dismissing du Plessis off the second delivery of the over with Keemo Paul collecting a fine catch at deep square leg. Raina walks out to bat and gets off the mark right away with a single. Excellent over from the left-arm Kiwi pacer, with just two runs coming off it to go with du Plessis’ dismissal. CSK need 65 off 54.

Suresh Raina has scored 693 runs from 20 innings at an average of 49.5 and a SR of 165.39 in IPL playoffs – highest for any player with atleast six innings.

OUT! Boult finally gets the breakthrough, as du Plessis pulls towards deep square leg, where Keemo Paul latches on to the ball to complete a fine catch. CSK 81/1

Du Plessis c Paul b Boult 50(39)

The difference in big match experience is starting to show now. CSK looked the far more composed and focused team throughout this contest. Delhi are athletic in the field but they have already fluffed up a run out chance and misjudged a catch that landed between two fielders. Watson and Faf are doing it easy now. With all those calm heads to follow in the middle order, it seems the writing is on the wall for DC. They had to take some wickets to really challenge CSK in their pursuit of 148.

After 10 overs,Chennai Super Kings 81/0 ( Faf du Plessis 50 , Shane Watson 26)

Axar returns to the attack in the 10th over and starts off with a couple of dots. FDP collects a single off the third to complete his half-century off 37 deliveries. Watson then further boosts his confidence with a six off a slog-sweep off the penultimate ball. Nine off the over. CSK need 67 off 60.

SIX! Watson gets down on one knee and slog-sweeps the full delivery from Axar towards the square-leg fence for a maximum — only the second of the innings so far. CSK 81/0

Fifty up for Faf du Plessis, his 12th in the IPL, and this one’s come off just 37 deliveries! An important innings from the South African, helping settle CSK’s nerves after a couple of close calls early in the innings. CSK 73/0

After 9 overs,Chennai Super Kings 72/0 ( Faf du Plessis 49 , Shane Watson 18)

Watson collects his second boundary at the start of Mishra’s second over, and survives a dismissal scare in the second delivery after a mishit towards mid on lands between Shaw and Munro, the latter having to cover a lot more distance before putting in a slide in vain. Eight off the over. CSK need 76 off 66.

FOUR! Helped away towards the fine leg fence by Watson off Mishra! CSK 68/0

After 8 overs,Chennai Super Kings 64/0 ( Faf du Plessis 47 , Shane Watson 12)

Keemo starts his first over with a slower one to Watto, but bowls five wides down the leg side off the next delivery to help CSK complete the fifty opening stand. Watson then collects his first boundary three balls later, tickling a full toss towards the fine leg fence. Faf then collects a boundary off the last delivery, guiding the ball towards third man where Munro puts in a spirited dive in vain. 16 off the over, CSK need 84 off 72.

FOUR! Faf is cramped for room while looking for a cut, guiding the ball towards third man off an under-edge. Munro gives the ball a spirited chase, puts in a dive near the boundary cushion, but is called a four with Munro’s body touching the advertising cushion at the time of him pulling the ball back inside. CSK 64/0

FOUR! Full toss down the leg side, and Watson couldn’t have got a better delivery to collect his first boundary off and boost his confidence. Simply redirects it towards the fine leg fence. CSK 59/0

Fifty partnership up between Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson, with Keemo Paul helping the batting side complete the milestone by conceding five wides in his second delivery of the evening. CSK 53/0

Chennai Super Kings’ average opening stand of 18.07 this season before today – the lowest among all the teams.

Good final over of powerplay for CSK. Faf is doing all the running for his team. Watson seems stuck at one end but more time at the crease will give him a chance to come back stronger in the latter half of this innings. Mishra’s spell against the two right handers is going to be the key now.

After 7 overs,Chennai Super Kings 48/0 ( Faf du Plessis 42 , Shane Watson 6)

Amit Mishra brought into the attack after powerplay, and concedes just two singles off his first five deliveries, before du Plessis sweeps powerfully towards the square leg boundary to add another four to his tally. CSK need 100 off 78.

FOUR! Swept powerfully towards the square-leg fence by Faf du Plessis off Amit Mishra! CSK 48/0

After 6 overs,Chennai Super Kings 42/0 ( Faf du Plessis 37 , Shane Watson 5)

Faf hits the gas pedal in Ishant’s third over as Chennai manage to pick their run rate up in the final over of the powerplay, with the South African collecting three successive fours at the start of the over, which fetches the defending champions 15 runs. Umpire signals timeout at the end of the over. Du Plessis, meanwhile, has collected 37 of the 42 runs scored so far. CSK need 106 off 84.

FOUR! Pulled away towards the midwicket fence this time as Faf du Plessis collects a hat-trick of fours in Ishant’s third over! CSK 39/0

FOUR! Back-to-back fours for du Plessis as Chennai start to catch up with the run rate. FDP guides this past Boult at short third man. CSK 35/0

FOUR! Back-of-length delivery from Ishant angling into middle and leg, and du Plessis leans back and pulls it behind square for his third boundary. CSK 31/0

After 5 overs,Chennai Super Kings 27/0 ( Faf du Plessis 23 , Shane Watson 4)

First big over of the Chennai innings, as Faf collects a a four and a six off successive deliveries to du Plessis as Shreyas Iyer decides to bring spin into play. Axar concedes 11 off his first over of the evening.

SIX! The first big hit of the innings, as du Plessis goes for a lofted inside-out shot over wide long off! CSK 26/0

FOUR! Streaky boundary for du Plessis, who now collects his second boundary. Heaves this towards point, where the ball lands between two fielders before racing away to the boundary. CSK 20/0

After 4 overs,Chennai Super Kings 16/0 ( Faf du Plessis 12 , Shane Watson 4)

Another tidy over from the lanky pacer, with just three runs coming off Ishant’s second over of the innings. Chennai are off to a slow start as usual, but can afford to take things a little cautiously right now before catching up.

Another quiet start from CSK. Not sure if it is the best tactic on a pitch where run scoring will get difficult as the game wears on. The mix up in the first over was probably a sign of some nerves from the two batsmen who have been completely out of form this season.

After 3 overs,Chennai Super Kings 13/0 ( Faf du Plessis 10 , Shane Watson 3)

Single collected off each delivery of Boult’s second over barring the third, in which du Plessis dispatches a back-of-length delivery towards the midwicket fence for the first boundary of the innings.

FOUR! Slightly short from Boult, and du Plessis dispatches the ball towards the midwicket fence for the first boundary of the CSK innings. CSK 10/0

After 2 overs,Chennai Super Kings 4/0 ( Faf du Plessis 3 , Shane Watson 1)

Ishant from the other end, and he too starts off on an economical note. Du Plessis and Watson stick to collecting quick singles, with the Delhi fielders stationed inside the circle keeping the two batsmen on their toes. Good start from Delhi’s perspective.

Chaos out there in the middle

The CSK openers can run. All they need now is to learn where to run to.

— Prem Panicker (@prempanicker) May 10, 2019

CSK have lost 29 wickets in PP overs this IPL – the most by any team.

CSK’s run-rate of 6.24 in this IPL in PP overs – the lowest among all the teams.

Shane Watson has been dismissed by Axar Patel and Amit Mishra – five times each.

After 1 over,Chennai Super Kings 1/0 ( Faf du Plessis 1 , Shane Watson 0)

Eventful first over from Boult, one in which both batsmen survive run out scares thanks to a shambolic effort on the part of the Delhi fielders. Faf and Watson mixed up, and the fielders missed while throwing at the two ends. Just one from the over.

Average runs per wicket for CSK:

IPL 2018 : 36.48

IPL 2019 : 28.23

Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis walk out to open the Chennai Super Kings innings, the South African on strike, as Trent Boult gears up to bowl the first over of the innings.

Terrible lapse at the end from Dhoni. He bowled out all Bravo in the 18th and Chahar in 19th. It nearly paid off as Pant got out in the penultimate over of the innings leaving number 9, 10 and 11 to face the final over. With Thakur in the team, he had to be the one to do the job, but Dhoni’s lack of confidence in his second seamed meant Jadeja had to come back to bowl the last over that went for 16 and gave DC a sniff in the game. 148 is a challenging chase on a slow pitch.

“Really happy I’ve got 150 wickets. Got a lot of wickets this year. The wicket at Chennai suited spinners. MS Dhoni wanted me to try and pick wickets in powerplay, and that’s what I’ve done. For 147, we need to bat well. Any total is a good total,” says Harbhajan Singh in the mid-innings break

DC today:

First 10 overs : 68/3 (RR – 6.80)
Last 10 overs : 79/6 (RR – 7.90)

After 20 overs,Delhi Capitals 147/9 ( Amit Mishra 6 , Ishant Sharma 10)

Jadeja drops a return catch off the first ball and Boult hacks him for a might six down the ground. Picks a wicket the next ball before Ishant Sharma comes out swinging and tonking 10 runs off the three balls he face. Valuable contibution. Some momentum for Delhi Capitals. Could be a tricky chase. Join us for that.

SIX! Ishant is down the pitch once again and this time he has gone straight. Jadeja has bowled ordinarily to say the least. He has smashed a six to end DC’s innings with a flourish. DC’s number 11 has taken 10 runs off three balls.

FOUR! Ishant Sharma skips down the pitch and connects it well down the ground. He beats long on fielder. A four for Ishant.

SIX! Boult now! He has clubbed this one, getting a good chunk of that one. The ball sails over long on fence for a mighty six. Dhoni walks up to Jadeja for a quick chat.

After 19 overs,Delhi Capitals 131/8 ( Amit Mishra 6 , Trent Boult 0)

Strange things have happened in this over. Amit Mishra has nailed couple of shots right from the meat of the bat. Rishabh Pant hasn’t and is back in the dressing room. There was unusual running involved as well and Faf du Plessis spectacular Superman stuff in the field to stop four runs for his team.

FOUR! Wow! Amit Mishra showing his ability with the bat. He moves across his stumps and scoops it over short fine leg for a one-bounce four. Super stuff.

OUT! Wide outside off, away from Rishabh Pant’s reach and the left-hander swings across the line, trying to clear the long on. The bottom hand comes off, he also got it from the bottom of the bat and Bravo takes a very good catch over his head in the deep.

Pant c Dwayne Bravo b Chahar 38(25)

This is as well as Bravo had bowled in the last two years. Those overs earlier in the innings helping him settle down nicely for the death going challenge. He managed to keep Pant away from the strike in the eighteenth over by bowling dots at Keemo Paul and nailed the wide yorker when Pant came on strike. The round the wicket angle put Keemo Paul in a tangle against the yorker as the furniture got disturbed behind him. It’s all about Pant in the last two overs now.

After 18 overs,Delhi Capitals 119/7 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 32 , Amit Mishra 0)

Bravo to bowl the 18th. He begins with a wide, but then gets coupld of dots in. There is some action happening around the boundary ropes with the fourth official and Ricky Ponting. It has got to do with the substitutes running onto the pitch carrying drinks. The umpire orders them to head back to their dugout. Bravo with some superb death overs bowling. Three runs and a wicket. Amit Mishra has come to the middle and Pant denies the single available on the last ball of the over.

OUT! Oooff! Bravo has bowled Keemo Paul with a brilliant yorker! Not right in the blockhole but was really full on the leg stump from round the wicket. The leg stump is out of its groove. Bravo almost clocked that a 140 clicks. Top stuff!

Careless lapse from Deepak Chahar at the boundary. He wasn’t aware of the boundary line as he caught that high ball off Pant’s bat with one foot on the line. If Pant manages to get 20 off an over from here, CSK will look back at that missed chance as the moment that cost them the IPL.

After 17 overs,Delhi Capitals 117/6 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 31 , Keemo Paul 2)

Pant has now stepped on the accelerator, not like he has a choice, Tahir’s last over is taken for 14 runs with 10 runs coming off just two balls. Dhoni showing emotions as well. Big game. Big opportunity of a wicket missed. It could cost CSK good 20-25 runs and that could make a huge difference.

SIX! Rishabh has gone for another big shot and he hasn’t connected it well. He was looking to go down straight or towards long on, but ends up slicling it up towards long off. Chahar takes the catch in the deep, throws it back up in the air as he is in contact with those advertising skirtings and by the time he aborts it is already too late. MS Dhoni is not happy and he has fielder know that too, Chahar is back in the ring.

Sherfane Rutherford was all at sea against Tahir’s variation but the important thing was he managed to stay in. Harbhajan was slightly short to start with in his final over and was pumped for a six by Rutherford earlier in the over, but once again just as a partnership started to look threatening, CSK pick up a wicket as Harbhajan bowled one full and wife and slow to lure the false shot from Rutherford.

FOUR! Pant finds the gap in the deep on the leg side. Plays it with the turn to slog sweep it to deep mid wicket fence.

After 16 overs,Delhi Capitals 102/6 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 19 , Keemo Paul 0)

Harbhajan Singh is called back into the attack. Rutherford strikes the first six of the innings before falling to Harbhajan Singh, who claims his 150th IPL wicket. DC go past the 100-run mark but have lost six wickets in the process. Pant still out there in the middle.

OUT! Harbhajan Singh has his man! Rutherford departs. He was looking to go downtown this time. Gets a thickish outside edge that flies to short third man. DC lose their sixth.

Rutherford c Watson b Harbhajan 10(12)

SIX! Slightly short by Harbhajan outside off and Rutherford has played a helluva shot! So much power in those forarms. He has lifted the ball over extra cover boundary for a maximum, the first one of DC’s innings. Ridiculous shot

Delhi have lost 46 wickets in the death overs (16-20) this IPL – the most by any team.  

DC’s run-rate of 9.51 in this IPL in the death overs (16-20) – the second lowest among all the teams.

After 15 overs,Delhi Capitals 93/5 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 17 , Sherfane Rutherford 3)

Rutherford quashes one down the ground but has Pant in his way, who cops one on his foot and is limping for time being. Bravo errs in his slower ball, that is called no-ball for height. Bruce Oxenford has his arm stretched out, MS Dhoni is in denial but he doesn’t express it the way he did when another no-ball was called earlier in the tournament against Rajasthan Royals. This time it is a wry smile and a nod of the head. Rutherford isn’t able to make most of the free-hit. Strategic time out signalled by the umpire.

CSK continue to pick wickets. Dhoni has been using Bravo much more in the middle overs in the last couple of games rather than just saving him for the death overs. It’s a welcome move as it allows skilful Bravo to assert himself on the game early on. With wickets in the middle over, the job of bowling in death overs is much easier. The wicket of Axar was a fine example of Bravo getting to use his variations more liberally without the pressure of bowling to batsmen looking to go after him all the time in the death overs.

After 14 overs,Delhi Capitals 85/5 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 13 , Sherfane Rutherford 0)

Tahir gets one to dip and turn into Rutherford, who is beaten in the flight. He was trying to forward press but the ball turns in, going past the inside edge and takes the pads before running past Dhoni to the fence. Big appeal for lbw, not given. Dhoni did review it after a discussion with Tahir but even on the replays it was heading for three reds before the ball tracking reveals the ball was going over. Jadeja, Tahir, Watto no one could believe what they saw on the big scree. CSK lose their review. Rutherford struggles to pick Tahir for the rest of the over, he plays and misses, slogs and misses, he tried defending and missed as Tahir seems unplayable at the moment. Somehow is able get bat on ball for the final ball. Five runs off the over.

After 13 overs,Delhi Capitals 80/5 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 12 , Sherfane Rutherford 0)

Delhi continue to lose wickets with Axar’s stay lasting only six balls. Big hopes pinned on Rishabh Pant now. Two runs and a wicket off Bravo’s over. Delhi’s half side is in the hut and still are 20 short of three-figure mark.

No Harbhajan against Pant early on. Dhoni probably saving the off spinner for one over at the death. Imran Tahir introduced late into the attack today shows why he is the most successful spinner this season by sending back skipper Shreyas Iyer. CSK can really put pressure on DC’s off colour lower order now.

OUT! OH DEAR! That’s silly shot from Axar Patel. Short ball from Bravo, slanted across the left-hander and Axar has simply ramped it to third man, where Tahir takes the simplest of catches. More celebrations in CSK camp.

Axar c Tahir b Dwayne Bravo 3(6)

After 12 overs,Delhi Capitals 78/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 11 , Axar Patel 2)

Tahir closes in on the purple cap, trying to snatch it away from his compatriot Kagiso Rabada. He is having a great tournament, moving to 24 wickets, only one behind KG. Iyer becomes his latest victim. Axar Patel comes out in the middle.

OUT! Tahir strikes! It looked like he bowled from the back of the palm, the traditional googly grip but it didn’t turn into Iyer and ended up going straight, like a top-spinner with perhaps some extra bounce. Iyer was looking to slog sweep thinking the googly would turn into him, but ended up top-edging it. Suresh Raina at point gets under it and after a little stutter as the ball was coming down pouches it safely.

Shreyas Iyer c Raina b Tahir 13(18)

After 11 overs,Delhi Capitals 74/3 ( Shreyas Iyer (C) 13 , Rishabh Pant (W) 9)

Dwayne Bravo arrives at the bowling crease. He begins with couple of dots to Iyer before he has been hit for a boundary. Shreyas Iyer finally hits the first boundary of his innings. DC might want to target Bravo’s four overs. Six runs off his first.

FOUR! Full and outside off from Bravo and Shreyas Iyer gets the front leg away, arcs a touch and drives it away through covers. The timing was absolutely stunning, beats the deep extra cover fielder with relative ease.

After 10 overs,Delhi Capitals 68/3 ( Shreyas Iyer (C) 8 , Rishabh Pant (W) 8)

Imran Tahir has been introduced into the attack. CSK continue to enjoy the upper-hand at the halfway stage of DC’s innings but Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are the two most important batsmen for the Capitals. Pant works away a boundary off Tahir in the over

Pant vs Bravo

Dwayne Bravo has dismissed Pant once off 20 balls in T20 cricket while conceding 25 runs.

FOUR! Okay then, Rishabh Pant shuffles and gets into good position to scoop Tahir to fine leg fence. He executes it well too.

DID YOU KNOW?

Imran Tahir has taken 19 wickets in middle-overs (7-16) this IPL – the most by any bowler.

After 9 overs,Delhi Capitals 59/3 ( Shreyas Iyer (C) 5 , Rishabh Pant (W) 2)

Just when Munro was looking good for Delhi Capitals, Ravindra Jadeja strikes for CSK, to clasp the control over the game. Rishabh Pant has strode out to the middle. He gets off the mark with a brace.

Another set batsman gets out at a crucial juncture for CSK. DC may rue losing Dhawan and Munro after getting a start. This wicket will bring Pant to the crease. How he plays from here could be the decider now. Expect Dhoni to challenge him early with the off spin of Harbhajan.

OUT! Perfect blueprint for the wicket and excellent execution as well. Munro was looking to attack and MS Dhoni knew it. With Jadeja turning into the southpaw, it was only a matter of time before the burly Kiwi opener would go for the big shot. Jaddu turns into the batsman and he plays the aerial sweep straight to Dwayne Bravo at backward square leg. The fielder didn’t move an inch. 

Munro c Dwayne Bravo b Jadeja 27(24)

After 8 overs,Delhi Capitals 54/2 ( Colin Munro 26 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 4)

Delhi Capitals bring their 50 up thanks to couple of boundaries from Munro as DC look to change gears after couple of quiet overs. Bhajji’s over costs 10 runs.

FOUR! Flighted on this occasion but Munro has worked this out superbly. He opens up his body and lofts it inside out towards extra cover fence.

FOUR! Short of a length from Harbhajan and Munro thrashes hard it through covers for a boundary

Shreyas Iyer’s scores against CSK in IPL:

44, 18, 19, 13, 70*, 7

After 7 overs,Delhi Capitals 44/2 ( Colin Munro 17 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 3)

Ravindra Jadeja will bowl the first over after the fielding restrictions are lifted. MS applying the slip for new man Iyer. Tidy start for Jaddu only three singles off his opening over.

The extra bowling option didn’t help much as Shardul Thakur was wayward at the start against Dhawan. Dhoni had to turn to Harbhajan in the powerplay right away to make amends. Bhajji was his usual accurate self with the new ball. The wicket of Dhawan in the last over of the powerplay means CSK are slightly ahead at the moment. On a slow wicket, picking wickets at regular intervals is going to be the key to restricting the opposition.

After 6 overs,Delhi Capitals 41/2 ( Colin Munro 15 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 2)

Harbhajan Singh with a successful over. Delhi Capitals lose both their openers in the Powerplay. CSK will be very happy with how the things have gone so far in the first six. Skipper Shreyas Iyer has joined Munro in the middle after Dhawan’s departure.

OUT! Gone! Harbhajan Singh strikes. He has got the crucial wicket of Shikhar Dhawan. Just kept it around the fourth stump line, trying to get the ball turn away after angling into the left-hander, Dhawan was looking to slice it through point, gets a fine edge and MSD, on second attempt takes the catch.

 Dhawan c Dhoni b Harbhajan 18(14)

Most wickets against Delhi in IPL:

23 – HARBHAJAN SINGH*
22 – Lasith Malinga
21 – Piyush Chawla

After 5 overs,Delhi Capitals 36/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 18 , Colin Munro 12)

Chahar comes on for his third over and does he job well, tying up the two left-handers by cramping them for room and allowing only four singles of the over. A contentions wide not given by the umpire.

CSK spinners have taken 55 wickets in this IPL — the most in a season by a team.  

Harbhajan Singh’s 22 wickets against Delhi in IPL — the joint most for any bowler alongside Lasith Malinga.

After 4 overs,Delhi Capitals 32/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 16 , Colin Munro 10)
 

Harbhajan Singh is called into the attack. Colin Munro seems to be going after everything, trying to take the advantages of fielding restricition. He got a big outside edge that evaded short third man. Seven came from Bhajji’s first over.

FOUR! Outside off, turning away and Munro crashes it through point for a boundary.

After 3 overs,Delhi Capitals 25/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 15 , Colin Munro 4)

Chahar provides the early breakthrough for CSK. Good review by MS Dhoni as well. Munro has come out with aggressive intentions.

FOUR! Munro with a little charge down the pitch and goes after Chahar. Slams it powerfully back past the bowler

OUT! Successful review by Chennai Super Kings and the decision is reversed. Shaw is on his way. It wasn’t too short in length and Shaw went for the pull across the line. Misses it completely as the ball sneaks under the horizontal swipe and hits Shaw on his back thigh in front of the middle stump. Three reds. First wicket for Chahar, early wicket for CSK.

Prithvi Shaw lbw b Chahar 5(6)

After 2 overs,Delhi Capitals 20/0 ( Prithvi Shaw 5 , Shikhar Dhawan 14)

Shardul Thakur to bowl from the other end. Dhawan is off and running with three rousing boundaries. A single to end Thakur’s over. Big over early in the DC innings, 13 runs off the over.

FOUR! Three in a row! Thakur trying to overcompensate for the two full length deliveries, drops this one short and Dhawan with all his experience, was ready for it. Pulls it away from his hips to square leg fence.

FOUR! Not as full as the previous delivery from Thakur, but still full enough, on middle and off and Dhawan has timed this wonderful shot, straight down the ground for consecutive boundaries.

FOUR! Overpitched outside off and Dhawan relishes it. Drives it past mid off for his first boundary. Crisp.

After 1 overs,Delhi Capitals 7/0 ( Prithvi Shaw 5 , Shikhar Dhawan 1)

False start for Deepak Chahar as he misses his run up. He begins with a wide down the leg, aiming to shape the ball back in from the leg stump. Was very close to the leg stump but is given a wide. Hardly any swing available for Chahar, shaw crunches couple cover drives as if he is batting in the nets, but both stopped by the fielder. He didn’t get any runs when he connected right from the centre but got off the mark with a single that comes of the inside edge. Slightly tentative start for Dhawan as well. He almost ended up playing on. Shaw spoils Chahar’s good first over with a boundary of the final ball.

FOUR! Slightly back of a length from Chahar and Shaw pounces on it. Pulls away through square leg for the first boundary of the innings.

Powerplay specialist

Deepak Chahar has taken 12 wickets in PP overs this IPL – the most by any bowler.

Prithvi Shaw is the only other batsman than Gill to have scored four fifties as a teenager in IPL.

DID YOU KNOW?

Shikhar Dhawan is one of the three players to have scored 600-plus runs against CSK in IPL. (623 runs, 20 innings, 36.64 average)

Time for Live action at Vizag. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw amble out to the middle, the latter will be taking the strike. Normal duties for Deepak Chahar as he marks his run up to bowl the first over of Qualifier 2. One slip in place.

No doubts on the ‘fun’ bit

#CSK going in a batsman short and still opting to chase. That’s a brave call in a knockout game. Will be fun to watch #DCvCSK #IPL

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 10, 2019

CSK need to win one more match to become the second team after Mumbai Indians to win 100-plus IPL matches.

Second knock out of the season between two evenly matched teams. Interesting move from Dhoni to play the extra bowler for this game given it’s his team’s batting department that has given him more headaches this season. Probably it’s his way of asking his batsmen to step up and take more responsibility? Is he saving other surprises with his bowling changes and batting order. Unpredictability is the cornerstone of Dhoni’s method in crucial knock out games. With the batting struggling for form a reshuffle in batting order may be the order of the day.

DC playing 11 today

Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(wk), Colin Munro, Axar Patel, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Trent Boult, Ishant Sharma

CSK playing 11 today

Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

CSK vs DC, Qualifier 2 toss result today
 

Toss: CSK win toss and MS Dhoni has no hesitation in opting to field

“This is the pitch that was used two nights ago. 161 wasn’t a winning total then, and you have to score more. It’s harder, and there is no stickiness. The ball will be coming on to the bat for atleast 12-13 overs. Length crucial. Shaw was picking the back-of-length deliveries and dispatching them towards the leg side,” says Michael Slater in his analysis of the Vizag pitch.

DID YOU KNOW?

CSK are the only team to have defeated Delhi Capitals twice this season.

CSK have lost only two matches out of their last 12 IPL games against Delhi.

MS Dhoni has won 15 matches as a captain against Delhi — the joint-most for a captain alongside his 15 wins against RCB in IPL.

Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals Head to Head

CSK have a 14-6 record against DC in IPL.

Away record this season:

CSK : 3-5

DC : 5-2

Shreays Iyer has won 10 out of 15 tosses this season – the most by any captain so far.

IPL 2019 Purple Cap, Leading Wicket Taker latest updates

Despite missing Delhi Capitals’ last two group games before getting ruled out of the remainder of the side’s campaign, pacer Kagiso Rabada continues to hold the Purple Cap with 25 wickets to his credit at an average of 14.72. Rabada’s South Africa teammate Imran Tahir, who plays for CSK, is fast catching up with him, having collected 23 wickets so far. Check out the full list of the leading wicket-takers here .

CSK’s road to playoffs: Chennai Super Kings is a fascinating sports team. On paper, they don’t seem that impressive compared to some other star-studded units in IPL. A lot of their key players are past their prime. Players like Shane Watson, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina are either retired from international cricket or have no hopes of playing international cricket again. Barring Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis, their fielding is slow and unathletic. Without Lungi Ngidi, the pace bowling attack is led by two young Indian rookies. But when you put these bits and pieces on the field in a yellow jersey under the careful watch of MS Dhoni, the sum of their parts creates an aura of invincibility.

Rajesh Tiwary also added gloss to CSK’s ANOTHER successful campaign in the IPL. Read more about it here

DC’s road to playoffs: The most obvious task for the Delhi Capitals’ management is to get the balance right in their playing eleven. Any balanced side doesn’t depend on one or two players but instead gels together as a unit. This has been the story for Delhi for a majority of their season; when different factors have all clicked for them together, they have won easily. On off days, they have collapsed easily too.

Read the full piece here.

IPL 2019 Orange Cap, Highest Run Scorer latest updates

The fate of the Orange cap is more or less sealed and perhaps parceled to Australia already, however, others have a chance to move up the ladder and break into the top five in the list. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are both on 450 runs, how many will they add. MS Dhoni is the leading run scorer for CSK. Check out the full list

IPL 2019, Qualifier 2, CSK v DC preview:

G Rajaraman takes a close look for the key clash:

Viewed from the narrow perspective of this game alone, age may play a role, slowing the Chennai Super Kings down just that bit and lending the Delhi Capitals the edge. Then again, it may end up showing that age is just a number. Read the full preview

 Today’s IPL match live blog between CSK vs DC

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s LIVE coverage of the the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2019 between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on our blog.