Chennai Super Kings (CSK) once again lived up to their reputation of playing well at their fortress as they defended an average score at the Chepauk Stadium. Defending only 168 runs, the CSK spinners stole the limelight as they inflicted a 27-run defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals (DC).
Batting first, Chennai huffed and puffed to reach to a total of 167 runs. MS Dhoni’s late blitz helped the home side reach to a defendable total. The spinners then took the onus and helped the CSK fans have a night to remember.
DC now are virtually out of the playoff contention in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and its going to be virtually impossible for them to qualify.
In this article, we take a look at 3 talking points from the CSK vs DC game which was won by Chennai Super Kings:
1. CSK spinners choked the DC batters
Even though the CSK spinners toom only 1 wicket, they were extremely economical. The duo of Ravindr Jadeja and Moeen Ali arrested the run flow from the bats of the Delhi batters and helped the home side solidify their position at number 2 in the IPL 2023 points table.
We had predicted that the Chepauk surface would be spin-friendly and lived up to its traditional reputation. While Jadeja bagged a wicket and conceded only 19 runs in 4 overs, Moeen Ali conceded runs at a stellar economy of only 4.00.
2. MS Dhoni’s late blitz
The entire crowd at the Chepauk Stadium went wild as MS Dhoni came in at the fag end of the CSK innings and smashed a few sixes. The talismanic skipper scored 20 runs in just 9 balls and his knock was packed with 2 sixes and 1 four.
His late fireworks helped CSK reach a defendable total and it helped the CSK bowlers capitalise on this game. MS Dhoni is a crowd favourite and the atmosphere at the stadium once again proved this statement.
3. Mitchell Marsh was fabulous with the ball
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh played exceedingly well in this CSK vs DC game as he bagged 3 wickets with the white-cherry. In his 3 overs, the 31-year-old all-rounder took 3 wickets and conceded only 18 runs.
He had an excellent economy rate of 6.00. This essentially restricted the 4-time IPL winners to a par score. With the bat though, Marsh failed to leave an impact and was dismissed for a meagre 5 runs off 4 balls. He was run out by Ajinkya Rahane.
