Highlights, IPL 2018, CSK vs DD at Pune, Full Cricket Score: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 13 runs

Shane Watson, Player of the match: Look I definitely lost out on previous 3 games. Nice that it worked out tonight. Good confidence builder. I was going towards the side where wind was moving. I got a few balls and got my innings going. Nice to get few sixes off the middle. Still pinch myself that I get this opportunity to play in IPL. Trent Boult is world class bowler and the way MS hit him shows his class. He just hit those balls incredibly well.

MS Dhoni, CSK captain:  It is quiet bad (his back), but nothing can be done. There is no rest period in the middle. There is pain but T20 is not lot of workload, so it is manageable. Very important for us to get a good platform if we get to a good start I can promote myself to 4 or 5 with a batsman left to come. More fun to go into 8th or the 10th over. Only fair orange cap holder gets more balls to play so, Rayudu in at 4 and I had to bat down the order. We didn’t have many options. Overseas batsman on this wicket and we felt stronger with Faf opening and Rayudu in the middle as it offers more stability.Lungi coming in and bowling well for us as we needed some to come out and bowl pace. Right from South Africa, he has impressed me. Has got the height and runs in and bowls quiet effortlessly.We have to keep in mind the eliminators and the finals if we make it will be played on small grounds. The margin of error at this level is not much I think the margin of error, they will have to take up the responsibility. At the death, it is not rocket science, where to bowl with one side being short. Otherwise we will have look at the dimensions of the ground before every game and select the bowlers. Overall, we are a happy side and the mood is good. But it helps if you are winning and learning.

Shane Watson is Player of the Match.

A bizarre finish brought DD much closer than CSK would have liked and spoil a near perfect game for them till that point. Vijay Shankar was 25 off 22, and in a blink of an eye he raised his 50 in 28 balls and gave DD a statistical chance of winning it in the last over. Lungi Ngidi was too good to concede 28 in the last over though. Bravo has gone for a lot of runs this season. Have the batsmen figured out his tricks at the death? They wait for his slower bowls now and take a toll on it. They will either need Bravo to step up or find someone else to do the job for them in the death. The win puts them back to the top of the points table again. The only real worry for them at the moment is Dhoni’s back. Perhaps, they will look to rest the skipper for a few games if they seal a berth in the playoffs.

Shreyas Iyer, DD captain: Too many runs on the board. It did not go our way. The way Watson started, it completely changed the game. The whole dressing room that he was out on the first ball. We got really close. It is a positive. We need to win 6 out of 6 now. We need to point out the mistake and come back very strong. We will try and bounce back. Management will pump in and get their ideas as to what to do. We will try and keep the team stable.

Game set and match for Delhi. It was never under real doubt after their blitzkrieg performance with the bat. The task for Delhi was improbable before this game and it can be said that it is nearly impossible for them to qualify for knock outs now. Maths might tell you differently though.

CSK become the second team to win 100 T20 matches after Mumbai Indians.

Chennai Super Kings win by 13 runs against Delhi Daredevils, the home side claim the leader’s position back.

After 20 overs, Delhi Daredevils finish with 198 runs for the loss of 5 wickets with Vijay Shankar 54 and Rahul Tewatia 3 but the Delhi lacked the steam throughout the innings. Rishabh Pant the lone fighter and some late fireworks from Vijay Shankar but the top order failure and the run out of Shreyas Iyer in the first half of the chase put the target of 212 beyond them. Maxwell’s failure will hurt Delhi the most as their campaign is all but over. 

Wonderful debut for Ngidi who bowled the first and the last over as well. Finsihed with 26 runs off his four overs and with the wicket of Rishabh Pant.

FIFTY! Shankar doesn’t get the six, but is able to chip it over cover fielder as they run a couple and he completes his half-century, doesn’t celebrate as he has still got a job to do. With a flurry of sixes towards the end he has got there in 30 balls. Came a rather too late.

SIX! Shankar has got one to sail over the boundary ropes! Can he pull off a miracle. This will be the story of the IPL if he can do it here!

After 19 overs,Delhi Daredevils 184/5 ( Vijay Shankar 44 , Rahul Tewatia 1)

Three sixes off the penultimate over, brings it down to 28 off the last over. Mathematically still possible, but Shankar will have to hit at least three sixes once again. Ngidi to bowl the final over.

SIX! Bravo goes length once again and once again it has been tonked out of the ground! Not wise by Bravo. His figuers have taken a severe beating. Shankar takes the game into the last over.

SIX! Bravo pulls it back of a length and Shankar has managed to flat bat this one for another six. He isn’t done yet! Dhoni isn’t happy with Bravo now.

SIX! Change up by Bravo, in the slot and Shankar slams it over wide long on for a big six! Rayudu once again isn’t too happy with Bravo’s length.

After 18 overs,Delhi Daredevils 163/5 ( Vijay Shankar 25 , Rahul Tewatia 0)

Lots of fun in CSK camp. Jadeja going down the floor after taking the catch and celebrating. Ngidi too enjoyed his first wicket. Six runs off the over. 49 needed off 12 balls.

OUT! Exactly where MS Dhoni wanted his bowlers too bowl. They kept bowling in Rishabh’s range who could smack it on the onside all this while, Ngidi uses all his height to get the ball and bowled it wide off the offstump, Pant only manages to hit it high but never got the power behind it giving Jadeja at deep point an easy catch. End of a valiant innings from Pant. Lungi’s first IPL wicket Pant (apologises for the pun)

Pant c Jadeja b Lungi Ngidi 79(45)

Another impressive knock from Rishabh Pant comes to an end. He has grown leaps and bounds this IPL season, almost as if the buzz around him as died down and has helped him concentrate better on his game. A fixated plan from Daredevils to bat him at no.4 has obviously helped too.

Rishabh Pant is the only player to make three 75-plus scores having an age less than 22 in IPL.

FOUR! That has been swatted by Rishabh who beats the fielder at long on.

Ngidi is brought back into the attack.

After 17 overs,Delhi Daredevils 157/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 75 , Vijay Shankar 24)

Pant has taken it upon himself as he keeps plucking away. Strikes couple of boundaries. Tried to scoop it over the wicket-keeper, but no pace from Bravo’s mean he can only take two runs off that ball. 55 off 18 required

FOUR! Bravo goes full, Rishabh plays it straight to long on fence with head falling over, but gets enough power behind it.

FOUR! Pant still believes he can get his team over the line as he gets another one over the short fine leg fielder off Bravo’s bowling.

CSK have been mighty impressive today. Coach Fleming had said after their previous loss that they have learnt about the pitch at Pune and will make the necessary adjustments in their team that was picked with the Chennai pitch in mind. Fleming will be delighted with how they have implemented the new plans today. They improved their approach in the first innings to register an imposing total. They picked bowlers who can hit the deck and get some purchase from this pitch, and they too have kept the batsmen in check for the most part. If they can somehow improve their death bowling also , then Fleming can check all the boxes based on tonight’s outing.

After 16 overs, Delhi Daredevils 146/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 65 , Vijay Shankar 23)

Asif too goes short to Shankar who is only able to pull it away, not very confidently though for a single. Then Pant launches an onslaught against the debutant. 18 off the over.

SIX! Too straight here by Asif! Pant again walks across and flicks it to square leg boundary.

FOUR! Shuffles across plays the lap sweep followed by a tumble and roll. Pant’s shot in motion. Gets it past short fine leg for a boundary.

FIFTY! Rishabh Pant strikes straight down the ground and some poor work in the field by Rayudu allows the ball trickle to the boundary. Half-century off 34 balls. He is single-handedly keeping Delhi’s hopes alive.

KM Asif is back into the attack

After 15 overs,Delhi Daredevils 128/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 48 , Vijay Shankar 22)

Replays show us that Rayudu who has seen lot of Vijay Shankar wanted Bravo to bowl short to the batsman, the full ball was hit over long on but once Bravo pulled the length back, he was able to keep it down to singles in the remaining delivering. 84 required 30 balls

That last over from Harbhajan spoilt his figures slightly but he has bowled another splendid spell tonight. He is bowling with brilliant control this season. His late selection in the auction is turning out to be a masterstroke. What he does so well in T20 is watching the batsmen till the very end and make subtle variations in length and trajectory based on what the batsman is trying to do.

SIX! Shankar gets one from the middle! Bravo bowls and length and Shankar swing it over long on for a biggie! Delhi will like this.

After 14 overs,Delhi Daredevils 117/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 45 , Vijay Shankar 14)

Harbhajan’s last over doesn’t quiet go according to the plan. He gave 13 off the first three overs while ends up giving 13 off the final over. Finishes with 26 against his name.

Worrisome that Dhoni has needed regular diagnosis of back ache throughout this tournament. Not on the whole for CSK though. Daredevils meanwhile looking completely out of it. Barring something mega from Rishabh Pant.

FOUR! Harbhajan misses his lines, drops it short and down the legside, Shankar on the swivel gets it fine as the runs down to the boundary.

SIX! Pant takes it from wide outside off stump. He had decided he would go over long on and he stretches himself to flat bat it over long on! Fell over once again playing the slog but has got it over the boundary ropes and that is what matters.

After 13 overs,Delhi Daredevils 104/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 37 , Vijay Shankar 9)

Vijay Shankar too is trying to slog it out of the park but isn’t able to did it against Jadeja, who bowls his fourth over, giving away seven runs off the last over and finished his spell for 31 runs with the wicket of Maxwell.

DD have been looking shaky since the start of the innings. Munro hit some brutal sixes but loss of quick wickets has not gone down well with them.  

After 12 overs,Delhi Daredevils 97/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 35 , Vijay Shankar 6)

Harbhajan continues to keeping it tidy. Experience shown by Harbhajan he getting it some air and being fearless. Five singles off the over.

After 11 overs,Delhi Daredevils 92/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 33 , Vijay Shankar 3)

Jadeja’s last ball was struck was superb six by Pant, who is the only man fighting for Delhi, albeit looks for a losing cause here. He needs someone to go big from the other end as well.

SIX! Great shot that! Pant comes down the wicket reaches to the pitch of the ball and slams it over deep mid-wicket.

FOUR! 

Pant has managed to pull it through deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

After 10 overs,Delhi Daredevils 78/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 21 , Vijay Shankar 1)

Harbhajan has been bowling well. Varying his pace and slowing it up from the other end as he gives just four off his over.

DD capitulating score card pressure. Asif has for both the openers and Iyer run out in a tragic mix up. Pant has started well and is due for a big one this season. Maxwell is what Maxwell does, you can never count out the big show. But this has to be the pair that does most of the work for Delhi how. They can’t afford to lose any more wickets from here.

Four down at the strategic break. Any hopes of winning this can said to be extinguished by now. Delhi now need to try and get as close as possible to the score. And maybe something could happen. There is also the run-rate to consider should they still in running for knock outs next week.

After 9 overs,Delhi Daredevils 74/4 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 19 , Vijay Shankar 0)

Maxwell’s poor run continues as he fails once again! Delhi are already lagging behind the rate and have lost their top order with only Rishabh Pant out there!

OUT! That’s gone through him! Jadeja cleans up Maxwell.  That was send down fast, coming in with the arm from round the wicket. Maxwell tried to play across the line and fails.

G Maxwell b Jadeja 6(5)

After 8 overs,Delhi Daredevils 68/3 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 18 , Glenn Maxwell 1)

Harbhajan starts his spell! Tight start, giving away just four runs. Pressure mounts on Delhi!

After 7 overs,Delhi Daredevils 64/3 ( Rishabh Pant (W) 15 , Glenn Maxwell 0)

Delhi will have to play out of their skins to make a match out of this as the game seems to slipping away! Pant will need to step up here.

Glenn Maxwell v Ravindra Jadeja in IPL:

Runs – 28
Balls – 22
Dismissals – 2
SR – 127.27

OUT! Goodness me! Horrible mix up this! Bit of yes–no and Iyer has ran over to the other end with Rishabh not leaving the bowler’s crease. Major setback for Delhi!

Shreyas Iyer run out Watson 13(14)

Glenn Maxwell v Harbhajan Singh in IPL:

Runs – 53
Balls – 26
Dismissals – 1
SR – 203.85

Harbhajan Singh has taken 21 wickets against DD in IPL at an average of 20.19 – the most by any bowler.

Ravindra Jadeja has completed only twice his quota of four overs from his last 10 IPL matches.

Ravindra Jadeja into the attack

After 6 overs,Delhi Daredevils 59/2 ( Shreyas Iyer (C) 11 , Rishabh Pant (W) 12)

Another expensive over as Watson concedes 13 runs off the over! Delhi finish with 59 in the first six. Still scoring under the required rate, the loss of two wickets doesn’t help their cause either.

Munro goes without making an impression either. Rishabh Pant looking to make an impact though. Delhi need someone to give momentum to their innings with Iyer holding one end.

Rishabh Pant’s SR in T20s:

Career – 162.01
2018 – 179.62

FOUR!

SIX! WOW! Brilliant start for Rishabh Pant. Watson delivers length and Rishabh requires no sighters, swings it through the line to smack it over wide long on. Six off the first ball!

After 5 overs,Delhi Daredevils 46/2 ( Shreyas Iyer (C) 10 , )

Despite leaking some boundaries in the over, Asif has struck again. He has removed both the openers now. CSK would be feeling comfortable after seeing Munro’s back

OUT! Asif has his man! Again it was bowled short of a length and this one was slightly towards Munro’s body and he was mistimed the pull to the fielder at deep mid wicket. Big loss for DD.

C Munro c Karn Sharma b KM Asif 26(16)

SIX! Asif digs it in short and Munro gets under this one to get it over the slips! Nice upper cut with the ball landing on the advertising cushions on the full.

FOUR! Goes straight down the ground. Asif keeps it full and he has driven it along the ground.

FOUR! Width on offer and Munro slashes. Finds the gap through point.

After 4 overs,Delhi Daredevils 31/1 ( Colin Munro 12 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 9)

Not the ideal start for Shane Watson, leaking 14 runs off his first over. Munro is slowly started to get going targetting Watson after three good overs from CSK.

FOUR! Moves across his stumps and lofts the ondrive over mid on for another boundary. Munro has started to find his groove.

SIX! Munro finally has a crack at that one! Watson bowled length and Munro flicks it over mid wicket for the first maximum

Shane Watson into the attack

Dhoni had said before the game that there is something in this wicket if you bang it in. KM Asif has done exactly that against Prithivi Shaw. A surprise shot pitch delivery bowled at 142 clicks gets the better of young Prithvi Shaw. It seems CSK had a good eye for young fast bowling talent in this year’s auction. Chahar was giving them early breakthroughs constantly, now his replacement has done the same.

After 3 overs,Delhi Daredevils 17/1 ( Colin Munro 1 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 6)

Another good over for Ngidi. Besides using his physique and shoulder, Ngidi smartly bowls the off cutter to outfox Iyer. Ngidi doesn’t look like your usual wicket-taker but he is the workhorse. Always an asset to have, especially for other bowlers in the team.

Thumb rule of chasing… Get a good start and Delhi haven’t got that. Half century in the last game and DD needed a repeat.. one down for a few!

FOUR! Iyer backs away to create some romm and taps it on the offside through the gap to pick his first boundary.

After 2 overs,Delhi Daredevils 11/1 ( Colin Munro 0 , Shreyas Iyer (C) 1)

Asif begins with a wide and is struck down the ground for a couple of boundaries, but the bowler didn’t give up persisting with his length. Hit the deck hard and eventually getting the wicket off his first over. Shreyas Iyer is in at number three.

Shreyas Iyer’s last three IPL innings: 93*, 57, 52

OUT! KM Asif strikes in his first over of his IPL career! Prithvi Shaw becomes his first wicket as he gets it from higher of the bat. Asif persists with back of a length and is rewarded. Shaw was looking to hit every ball straight down the ground, the idea was right but the ball he was dismissed was not quite there to be played straight.

Prithvi Shaw c Jadeja b KM Asif 9(5)

FOUR! This one is right from the sweet spot! Past mid on for another boundary.

FOUR! Shaw doesn’t get it from anywhere near the sweet spot, but is still enough to get it over the circle and then the ball rolled towards the boundary.

Another debutant KM Asif to bowl from the other end.

After 1 overs,Delhi Daredevils 1/0 ( Prithvi Shaw 1 , Colin Munro 0)

Ngidi starts with a slip in position. Munro plays and misses on few occasions. Brilliant start for Ngidi in the IPL, only one run off the over.

First look of Lungi Ngidi! He will start the defence for Chennai Super Kings!

MS Dhoni with some last words before the players break the huddle and get on to the field.

DD openers Colin Munro and Prithvi Shaw saunter out.

An incredible finish by Dhoni and Rayudu helps CSK set a formidable total. They wasted a good start the last time they batted first. Given how teams have chased this IPL, you have to treat your first inning as a chase of 200 to ensure your batsmen don’t relax in the middle. DD are coming into this game on the back of a brilliant show with the bat, but chasing this down against CSK will take some doing from here.

Another 50 for MS Dhoni this season… He has turned back time and turned it back in some style… Overtakes Rayudu in the hitting shoot out. Delhi could have contended with one of them… But with both firing 200 was inevitable. Tall chase in the offing. At least DD know how to do it… Ahem!

The highest target successfully chased by DD in IPL is 209 which they chased against GL at Delhi in 2017.

This is the second time that MS Dhoni has hit more than two 50s in a single season of IPL. He hit four 50s in 2013.

After 20 overs,Chennai Super Kings 211/4 ( MS Dhoni (C) (W) 51 , Ravindra Jadeja 0)

MS Dhoni completes his fifty off the last ball with a brace to wide long off. What a fantastic innings by the man! Simply amazing hitting that takes CSK to 211. 

Professional performance by Chennai! The openers providing a perfect platform for the launch and the rest led by their captain do a terrific job in getting their side to a formidable total.

The Delhi batsmen will have to continue from how they batted in the last match to even get close to the target. The pitch looks great for batting but Chennai bowlers have been doing well with the ball. Will be an intriguing battle. Do join us for the chase.

OUT! Run Out! Pretty comical in the end as Rayudu two, well almost. Dhoni misses the pull, Pant doesn’t collect it cleanly, flicks it back to Boult and Rayudu thought he could be on strike for the final ball but well MSD was never going to budge, so he runs back to where he started. Boult hits the stumps at the other end and Rayudu was way short.

A Rayudu run out Boult 41(24)

FOUR! Thankfully, Boult gets out of the way for his own good! Dhoni advances down the pitch and thwacks it past the bowler! Absolutely nailed that one with the flat bat. Can CSK go past 210?

SIX! Boult goes full, ends up as a full toss and CSK’s thala says thank you very much! Prefers for the deep square leg region, clears it with ease.

After 19 overs,Chennai Super Kings 198/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 40 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 39)

Avesh Khan bowled a splendid last over of his spell after giving five runs off his first five balls but the six off the final over will spoil his figures. He should have had MS Dhoni’s wicket off the first ball though, had it not been for the dropped catch.

SIX! After doing so well, Avesh Khan ends up bowling a waist high full toss against a rampaging MS Dhoni. The CSK captain nonchalantly pulls it to 108 metre six over  square leg fence.

DROPPED! MS Dhoni has been put down!

One the simplest chances you would see and Colin Munro will have to do some explaining to do. Got to the ball quickly but just wasn’t able to clasp it after the ball bouncing out. Dhoni had hit it straight to deep midwicket and Avesh Khan was clearly upset.

DD have taken 21 wickets in the death overs in IPL – the most by any team so far in this IPL.

After 18 overs,Chennai Super Kings 187/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 38 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 31)

These two are running amok against the Delhi bowlers. 17 runs off the over! CSK are looking at 210 now!

FOUR! Rayudu slashes, doesn’t get it where he wanted, gets a thick outside edge that races past short third.

SIX! Skips down the wicket and goes straight! What a shot by Rayudu to bring the 50-run partnership.

FOUR! Rayudu gets it fine. Too straight from Plunkett and te batsman swivels across to pull it away. No chance for the fine leg fielder.

After 17 overs,Chennai Super Kings 170/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 23 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 29)

Rayudu tried the extravagant reverse paddle off the last ball that ends as a dot but the damage had already been done in the first three balls. Couple of sixes and two fours off the over. DD will have to rethink before giving Boult the penultimate over to bowl. He will be under immense pressure after this.

Rayudu smacks Trent Boult to all parts of the ground… This is some serious hitting when you see who the bowler is… Rayudu has raised his game to a previously unseen level.

FOUR! Rayudu gets into the act as well. Bends on his knee and takes the full toss from outside off to hit it in the gap off long and deep midwicket fielder.

MS Dhoni now holds the record of scoring most runs as a captain in IPL, going past Gautam Gambhir’s tally of 3518 runs.

Scoring rate comes down a tad.. so much so the predicted score is corrected to 181… And bang on cue… Dhoni smacks a few sixes! This is not over yet for Delhi. They could be in for some more punishment.

FOUR! Smart, this is extremely clever cricket from Dhoni. Shuffles across and knowing that the field behind square leg was inside the ring he knew he had to just lift it over them to take four runs and he executes it to perfection.

SIX! That is MS Dhoni just flaunting his strength here! He was ready for the full ball and walks slightly to the offside to get to the pitch off the ball and hammer it over long on for another flat hit!

SIX! Back of a length from Boult and that has been slapped hard and flat for a six! Outstanding batting this by MSD!

Most times dismissed by spinners in IPL:

52 – Robin Uthappa
50 – SURESH RAINA*
45 – Brendon McCullum

Trent Boult is back into the attack

After 16 overs,Chennai Super Kings 149/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 19 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 12)

MS Dhoni hares back for the second run, once he couldn’t get the connection he wanted as he jumped out of his crease to play the big shot. An inside edge rolls to square leg, but incredible running by MSD showing his fitness. He gets the boundary off the fifth ball off the over. Mishra finishes his spell giving away 30 runs off his 4 overs and a wicket.

SIX! Length and MS Dhoni skips down the pitch and with Mishra bowling it wide off stump, allowing Dhoni to extend his arms and power it over long on boundary.

After 15 overs,Chennai Super Kings 137/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 17 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 2)

Few quick singles in the over with Rayudu missing it out on couple of full toss, but these two takes six runs off the over. CSK will still be aiming to get around 60 in the back five and push to get to the 200 mark.

Brilliant innings from Shane Watson. He has given a great platform for the likes of MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu to take the total beyond 200. 

Amit Mishra has played nine matches against CSK and his team have lost eight out of those nine matches.

Wickets for Mishra and Maxwell. The leggie has looked the only bowler who could take a wicket. Maxwell on the other hand could have given a huge bonus to Delhi with Raina’s wicket. He thrives in this situation and his dismissal could be the difference between 180 and 200.

Avesh Khan comes back to bowl his second spell

MS Dhoni v DD in IPL:

Innings – 17
Runs – 419
Average – 29.93
SR – 138.28

After 14 overs,Chennai Super Kings 131/3 ( Ambati Rayudu 13 , MS Dhoni (C) (W) 1)

An over that started off with a poor delivery from Mishra that was swept for a boundary ended up with four more singles but more importantly for Delhi Daredevils they get their wicket of Shane Watson. In comes Dhoni at number 5 and gets off the mark with a single off the final ball.

OUT! Mishra has got the big wicket of the dangerous looking Shane Watson, who departs after very well made 78.  It was floated wide outside off stump and Watson looked to go straight and perhaps would have liked to get some height on it but has struck it long off fielder.

Watson c Plunkett b Mishra 78(40)

DD has done all the running so far in this game as Watson has been firing on all cylinders. They got a mini break with two quick wickets, only to see the sight of CSK’s form batsman Rayudu walking in. CSK must keep their feet on the peddle and set their sight on a total of 200 plus.

Rayudu comes out at no.3. Day of batting order changes for CSK today and it’s been effective. Delhi take another early strategic break. The last one didn’t work for them. They need this one to be more effective.

FOUR! Bad delivery from Mishra. Down the leg side and easy pickings for Rayudu sweeps well to beat the short fine leg fielder to his left.

After 13 overs,Chennai Super Kings 123/2 ( Shane Watson 77 , Ambati Rayudu 7)

Rayudu plays and misses for the first couple of deliveries, then gets one from the center of the bat to collect four. Sweeps it straight to long on for a single. He is trying to maintain the run rate. Watson’s two boundaries off the two boundaries on either side of the wide ball helps CSK take 15 runs off the over. 

This over has released the pressure which DD were looking to build.

FOUR! Predicatable line. Again full outside offstump and Watto has driven it past the deep cover fielder for another boundary.  Not the best of the ideas by Shankar!

FOUR! Shankar attempts the wide yorker against Watson, but ends up bowling a full toss, Watson is able to steer it past point and beats the fielder in the deep.

No player has scored more runs than Ambati Rayudu in this IPL so far. He has amassed 329 runs (thus far)  from seven innings at an average of 47.00.

FOUR! Rayudu shimmies down the track, frees his arms and slices it over the cover. Speaks volumes of the kind of form he is in.

After 12 overs,Chennai Super Kings 108/2 ( Shane Watson 69 , Ambati Rayudu 2)

Just took one ball from Glenn Maxwell for him to strike. Suresh Raina back in the dug out and now it is Delhi’s chance to claw back into the game. Couple of overs going in Delhi’s way.

No player has scored more runs than Ambati Rayudu in this IPL so far. He has amassed 329 runs from seven innings at an average of 47.00.

OUT! Raina tried to take on the off spiner straightaway. No sighters! Maxwell starts fom round the wicket and Raina bends on his knee and looks to slog it across the line, was premediated and the ball goes on with the arm through the gap. He has missed out on a straight one! He won’t be looking at that one again!

S Raina b Maxwell 1(2)

Finally a wicket… 100 partnership so you can say the change in opening pairing as worked. The damage has been done for Delhi and now it is a matter of restricting CSK if at all they can. Anything below 200 would be a good start.

Glenn Maxwell comes into the attack

Suresh Raina v DD in IPL:

Innings – 20
Runs – 491
Average – 28.88
SR – 133.06

After 11 overs,Chennai Super Kings 103/1 ( Shane Watson 66 , Suresh Raina 1)

No ball called for height as Vijay Shankar deliveries’ second ball goes wrong. Brings out loud cheers among the CSK fans as the batsmen cross over with Watson on strike for the free-hit. Shankar bowls the wide yorker and Watson is only able to get the toe-end of the bat only for a single. Faf falls for 33 as Raina  comes in at number three.

OUT! First wicket for Delhi Daredevils. Faf du Plessis struggled throughout his innings as he failed to get going. Tried the release shot, holes out to long off.

F du Plessis c Boult b Vijay Shankar 33(33)

Century opening stands in IPL 11:

Chris Gayle/KL Rahul v KKR, Kolkata
Evin Lewis/Suryakumar Yadav v DD, Mumbai
Shane Watson/Faf du Plessis v DD, Pune

This is the first time that Shane Watson has hit seven sixes in an IPL innings. He hit six sixes four times previously.

First 10 overs clearly belong to CSK. Daredevils thus far have no idea what is happening in the middle.

Vijay Shankar has been brought into the attack by DD

After 10 overs,Chennai Super Kings 96/0 ( Shane Watson 64 , Faf du Plessis 30)

Mishra is holding it tight from the other end and he has been shown some respect from CSK batters as well. Du Plessis slammed one down theground that looked to be heading to the boundary until long on fielder did well to keep it down to one. Five runs off the over.

Fastest fifties for CSK v DD in IPL: (By balls) 

22 – Matthew Hayden, Durban, 2009
24 – Matthew Hayden, Delhi, 2010 
25 – SHANE WATSON, Pune, 2018*

After 9 overs,Chennai Super Kings 91/0 ( Shane Watson 61 , Faf du Plessis 28)

Couple of poor deliveries from Tewatia has taken full toll from Watson, while Faf has still found it difficult to get going, missed the sweep on one occasion and hasn’t been able to break free. Watson has ensured the run rate remains on the higher side. He looks set for a big one here!

Amit Mishra the only bowler who has applied brakes but never mind that… CSK not missing Rayudu and his hitting at all… Watson is running amok in Pune. 200 on the cards easily. Delhi still searching for a wicket.

SIX! That has gone a longway into the stands! Terrific hitting by the 36-year old and short ball from Tewatia and Watson sends it over wide long on.

FIFTY! Watson gets to his half century with a six over fine leg! Bad delivery by Tewatia but what a wonderful innings from Watto. Gets to the landmark in 25 balls.

After 8 overs,Chennai Super Kings 76/0 ( Shane Watson 47 , Faf du Plessis 28)

Good start for Amit Mishra. After three straight and quick deliveries, Mishra flights one and Watson is happy to bunt it down for a single to long off. Du Plessis attempts the sweep to the one that was pushed through, misses. Completes the over with a wrong’un and Faf dabbed it to mid off and set off for a quick single, that ends up as a double after Iyer’s direct-hit is deflected off the stumps that allows them to collect an extra run for the overthrow.

DD today:

First three overs: 16/0
Next four overs: 55/0

Shane Watson v Liam Plunkett so far:

Runs – 27
Balls – 8
SR – 337.50
6s – 4

Amit Mishra begins his spell

After 7 overs,Chennai Super Kings 71/0 ( Shane Watson 45 , Faf du Plessis 25)

CSK have really stepped on the gas after a relatively quiet start. Watson in particular has smashed it around as he has raced to 45 off 21 deliveries.

Watson on fire and Plunkett continues to take a beating… Chennai’s spin based formula might not have agreed with move to Pune’s quicker wickets. But Watson is liking the pace and bounce here. Delhi in some trouble here. No wickets so far.

This is the third consecutive innings in this season without a wicket falling in the powerplay overs.

SIX! Watson is inflicting pain on Plunkett here! This his fourth six against the same bowler! On the pads and Watson brings those wrists into play to flick it for consecutive sixes!

SIX! Plunkett pitches it up and Watson is not going to miss out on the ball that has bowled on length. Strikes it through the line to collect six over long off.

After 6 overs,Chennai Super Kings 56/0 ( Shane Watson 31 , Faf du Plessis 24)

CSK are starting to up the ante here. Race past 50 in the powerplay. Delhi need to break this partnership.

FOUR! Cramped for room there, but Du Plessis on the swivel has found a way to guide it to fine leg boundary.

SIX! This is pretty surprising. Guess Watson didn’t think the ball would clear the fence, let alone it going over long on for a maximu. Khan hurried him on the bouncer and he was looking to pull it but got a top-edge that went miles in the air and landed over long on boundary!

It’s a slow and steady for CSK but the only way to make it is to ensure that the next men coming get on with it in good time. We saw in the last game how the momentum was sucked out of the CSK inning after Rayudu fell and Dhoni wasted too many deliveries to get going.

20 off Plunkett and CSK get the scoring rate up… Watson using the bowler’s pace in those sixes. Faf might not have the power game but he can manufacture starts. Delhi need a wicket or two soon.

Liam Plunkett’s four out of eight three -wickets hauls in T20 cricket have come since 2017. Can he do it for DD today?

After 5 overs,Chennai Super Kings 45/0 ( Shane Watson 24 , Faf du Plessis 20)

These two have taken the attack to Plunkett. Couple of sixes and a boundary helps the home side take 20 runs off the over. Just the over CSK wanted.

FOUR! Improviasation from Du Plessis. Moves across his stumps and laps it over short fine leg for a boundary.

SIX! Back-to-back sixes for CSK through Shane Watson’s blade. Plunkett bowls on the leg stump and he has flicked it high into the air but sails over mid wicket for another six. Might have been squarer than he intended.

SIX! Plunkett tries the short ball outside off stump, Watson was always ready to play the pull, slams it over mid wicket for the first six of the match.

Liam Plunkett is brought into the attack

After 4 overs,Chennai Super Kings 25/0 ( Shane Watson 11 , Faf du Plessis 13)

Faf showing some signs of intent for Chennai. It has been a sedate start for the home side. Five singles and boundary off Tewatia’s first over.

FOUR! Du Plessis had been moving around in his crease in the previous over as well, gets one in the zone to hit and with no fielders in the deep on the offside, he simply lifts it over cover for a boundary.

Rahul Tewatia into attack

After 3 overs,Chennai Super Kings 16/0 ( Shane Watson 9 , Faf du Plessis 6)

A mixed bag from Boult here! Started the second over from over the wicket and goes round the stumps after the first two deliveries. Beats Watson’s inside edge once, gives away couple of boundaries and completes the over that should have been a full toss had Watson got some bat on it, but the batsman misses out. 10 runs off the over.

FOUR! Watto gets one into the gap as glides it through backward point and short third man. Superb placement.

Don’t think it’s a great move to push a red-hot Rayudu down the order. He may be adaptable with his batting position but CSK need to allow him as much time in the middle as possible.

Superb start from DD with the ball. CSK have changed their open combination. Bringing in Faf du Plessis at opening spot means Chennai don’t have the firepower of in-form Ambati Rayudu. Job made easier for Daredevils’ pacers.

FOUR! Du Plessis chases a wide one by just extending his arms, gets a thickish outside edge that beats the third man fielder.

After 2 overs,Chennai Super Kings 7/0 ( Shane Watson 5 , Faf du Plessis 2)

Avesh Khan has picked up four wickets in the two matches he has played and he looks to continue his good run. Keeps the pace about 140 clicks.  Avesh beats his outside with some quick pace. Keeps lining some doubt balls with Du Plessis finding cover point a couple of times. Was looking to make room off the last ball as well, getting the front leg out of the way, Avesh bowls it close to his body, not allowing any width, taps it down for a single. The only run from the over.

Avesh Khan will bowl from the other end

After 1 overs,Chennai Super Kings 6/0 ( Shane Watson 5 , Faf du Plessis 1)

Boult’s early swing causes Watson problems straightway.  Saved by perhaps the benefit of doubt. Du Plessis gets off the mark with a single off the last ball. Good to see some pace on this surface.

FOUR! This time it has been clipped away by Watson, Boult started on middle stump with the shape into Watson takes it onto his pads allowing him to whip the ball away to mid wicket fence.

Trent Boult is the joint highest-wicket taker in IPL 11 with 11 wickets.

NOT OUT! Straightaway into the action. Iyer makes use of DRS offf the first ball as Trent Boult with his big inswinger that comes back into Shane Watson. Close call for the batsman. The umpire had denies DD. The review was touch and go. With some bat involved, Watson continues. DD lose their review.

Faf du Plessis as an opener in IPL:

Innings – 22
Runs – 710
Average – 33.81
SR – 131.97

The average first innings score at Pune in IPL is 168 since 2017.

New opening pair for Chennai Super Kings:

Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis will open. Orange cap holder Rayudu to bat in the middle order. Trent Boult with the ball for Delhi Daredevils. Let’s go!

No changes for Delhi. Unsurprising, given they scored 200+ in their last game and marked a resurgent win. 

Four changes for CSK.. you would be forgiven for thinking they are the team in trouble and not the other way round. Watch out for Lungi Ngidi on his IPL debut. That guy has serious pace.

When Shreyas Iyer was first called up to the Indian Test team, MS Dhoni had already retired from the longer format. Today they walked out for the toss together in Pune. Let that sink in for a moment… Old generation versus new… The future of Indian cricket is really here. 

No surprise that Delhi Daredevils won the toss and opted to bat first.

Chennai Super Kings XI: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, KM Asif, Lungi Ngidi

DD have won three out of their last five encounters at Pune in IPL.

Delhi Daredevils XI: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

Four changes for Chennai Super Kings

Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif and Karn Sharma come in for the home side

Delhi Daredevils remain unchanged from their previous game. Playing XI will be shortly.

Toss update: Delhi Daredevils win toss elect to field first.

CSK v DD in IPL:

Matches played – 16
CSK won – 11
DD won – 5

CSK were defeated by the bottom most team in the points table on Saturday. Today, they face another team that sits right at the bottom of the season chart. DD won their last game in emphatic style with the newly crowned Shreyas Iyer playing a captain’s knock. CSK will be keen to register a win at Pune and avoid creating a pattern at their adopted home. IPL has shown as that it doesn’t take much for your fortunes to shift and position in points table to waver. They will be hoping an injury to Chahar who has impressed everyone this season with his swing and variations doesn’t lead to a shift in fortunes in what has otherwise been a dominant season for CSK.

In Deepak Chahar’s absence, Dhoni has a little selection headache to deal with. Possibilities are that either Lungi Ngidi or David Willey might make the cut. Who do you think should be included in CSK’s playing XI in Chahar’s absence?

Both Shane Watson and Shreyas Iyer have played some match-winning innings for their side.  Will fire today too?

After going through a major overhaul including the one that saw changes in the leadership , Delhi Daredevils secured a massive 55-run win in their previous game against Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite the victory, Shreyas Iyer-led side is at the bottom of the table and will look to extend their winning run against one of the more consistent teams in this IPL Chennai Super Kings.
 

CSK is coming off a defeat against Mumbai Indians, elsewhere Sunrisers Hyderabad continued their merry ways that saw them topple the leaders, while MS Dhoni and Co will be eyeing to claim the spot.

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s LIVE blog of match 30 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils.

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