Despite a sensational 37 not out from Mahendra Singh Dhoni in just 16 balls, Delhi Capitals pacers Khaleel Ahmed (2-21) and Mukesh Kumar (3-21) bowled outstanding spells at the beginning and middle of the innings to restrict the defending champions Chennai Super Kings to 171/6 in 20 overs. The team won the match by 20 runs to record their first victory of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 here on Sunday.
In Match 13 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Khaleel, who was dropped by the national selectors a few years ago but performed well in the domestic circuit, stunned CSK by taking the first two wickets and dismissing openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra, bringing CSK to 7/2. Bowling in the Power-play, Khaleel finished with a 2-21 score.
As Rishabh Pant deployed seven bowlers to put the Chennai Super Kings under strain, Mukesh Kumar continued to pile more misery on the team by taking two wickets in as many deliveries, finishing with 3-21 in three overs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the previous captain of CSK, performed some late-game magic towards the conclusion of the game, hitting a stunning 16-ball 37 not out for the five-time champions, but CSK lost the contest.
Delhi Capitals managed to post 191/5 in 20 overs after Pant won the toss. David Warner and the captain struck rapid-fire half-centuries, while Prithvi Shaw scorched a 27-ball 43. Following that, the bowlers under the leadership of Khaleel and Mukesh Kumar took over as the Delhi Capitals turned their season around after two losses and dealt CSK their first loss following two victories at home.
As they attempted to chase a massive total of 192 on a surface that was giving some bounce, the Chennai Super Kings relied, as they did in their previous game, on openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra to get them off to a fast start. But with only seven runs on the board, they slipped and lost two quick wickets, dashigning those hopes.
Both were dismissed by seasoned bowler Khaleel Ahmed, who got Gaikwad (1) to edge one behind to Pant with the extra ball of the opening over after he had sent down a wide. After attempting an extended drive from a length ball, the CSK captain feathered the ball to the keeper.
Ravindra (2) did not last long, as the New Zealander mishit a chipped pull and was brilliantly collected by Tristian Stubbs at mid-on.
The CSK innings was saved by Ajinkya Rane and Daryl Mitchell, who put up 68 runs for the third wicket partnership. Rahane scored 45 from 30 balls with five fours and two sixes thanks to some incredible smashes. With 26 balls, Daryl Mitchell scored 34 points.
But Mukesh Kumar took two wickets in as many balls. He trapped Rahane at long on with an excellent slower delivery and then found a thin edge with a ball that bounced a little to account for Sameer Rizvi. In the seventeenth over, he returned to pick the dangerous Shivam Dube with a slower, shorter one, finishing with figures of 3-21.
Mahendra Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja played some incredible strokes towards the end, but by then, it was obvious that the game was over. After being dropped by Khaleel off Mukesh Kumar at backward point, Dhoni struck 37 not out in just 16 balls, smashing four boundaries and three sixes, including an 85+ one-handed maximum off a ball retrieved off his legs. Jadeja scored 21 off 17 balls. Although the task was extremely challenging, the 42-year-old master produced a unique and spectacular innings that raised the hopes of devoted admirers.
The Delhi Capitals lost by 20 runs as the home team’s winning streak of 12 games in a row maintained, despite the excitement generated by Dhoni for the CSK supporters in the stands.
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