Delhi Capitals (DC) secured their first victory of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with a 20-run win against defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday.
However, cricket enthusiasts worldwide were treated to a remarkable cameo by veteran wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni. Despite Dhoni’s unbeaten 37 off 16 balls, his whirlwind innings couldn’t turn the tide as CSK had a challenging target to chase. Named the ‘Electric Striker of the Match’ Dhoni’s performance had the stadium buzzing, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a CSK victory.
The excitement in the stadium, particularly following the crowd’s experience of an extraordinary display by MS Dhoni, led even his wife Sakshi to believe that Chennai had emerged victorious. Sakshi shared an Instagram story, confessing that she hadn’t realized it was Delhi who had won.
In terms of the match, Khaleel Ahmed shaped the storyline in favor of DC by dismissing the opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra for 1 and 2 runs, respectively.
Ajinkya Rahane (45) and Daryl Mitchell (34) attempted to build momentum for CSK with their 68-run partnership. However, Axar Patel broke the stand by dismissing Mitchell, while Mukesh Kumar struck from the opposite end to remove Rahane.
Shivam Dube and Sameer Rizvi faced challenges in providing the much-needed firepower for CSK. Dhoni’s late surge, striking 20 runs off Anrich Nortje in the final over, provided a glimmer of hope. Nevertheless, DC’s well-coordinated strategy prevented CSK from clinching victory.
In the earlier stages of the innings, Prithvi Shaw (43 runs from 27 balls) and David Warner (52 runs from 35 balls) kicked off for Delhi, forging a formidable 93-run partnership to provide the Capitals with a blazing start.
CSK’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Shaw in the 11th over at a crucial juncture when the opener was in scintillating form. Shaw hammered 4 fours and 2 sixes during his innings.
Following the initial dismissals, Pant took charge of the game. However, other DC batters such as Mitchell Marsh (18 runs from 12 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (0 runs from 2 balls) failed to endure against the Chennai bowling attack.
Matheesha Pathirana was in fine form as he claimed pivotal wickets, dismissing Marsh and Stubbs in the 15th over.
The Sri Lankan pacer secured his third wicket by dismissing Pant in the 19th over. The DC skipper hammered 4 fours and 3 sixes, propelling the team beyond the 190-run mark.