DC vs CSK | Sluggish Chennai batting torments them yet again as Delhi end 15-year Chepauk drought

Opting to bat first, Delhi Capitals got off to the worst start possible when Jake Fraser-McGurk played out the first four short balls and then holed out against the fuller one to hand Khaleel Ahmed another powerplay wicket. However, Abhishek Porel was in no mood to consolidate as he threw caution to the wind and took Mukesh Choudhary for 19 runs in his first over of the IPL season. KL Rahul — opening in place of the injured Faf du Plessis —  did not shy from joining the party either and the duo had taken the team to 51/1 by the end of the powerplay. Ruturaj Gaikwad brought on Ravindra Jadeja once the field restrictions lifted to curb the run flow and the move worked wonders as the veteran took just four balls to get rid of Porel. Yet, it was hardly a respite as Axar launched his first ball for six and ended up with abreezy 14-ball 21 in a quick 36-run stand with Rahul before Noor sounded him the death rattle in the 11th over. There was no lack of intent at any point in the Delhi innings as even Sameer Rizvi came out swinging, and Rahul too switched gears once he brought up a 33-ball fifty. He first added 56 with Rizvi, and then another 33 at the death with Tristan Stubbs whose unbeaten 24 at two-runs-a-ball took the team to 183/6.

In response, Mukesh Kumar handed the hosts their first blow by dispatching Rachin Ravindra in the first over before Mitchell Starc made it a double whammy by scalping skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in his secon over. The only remaining top-three batter Devon Conway could not survive the powerplay either as a Vipraj Nigam googly proved too good for him and at 46/3 after six, Chennai already seemed in dire straits. Once Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja also returned to the dugout in the space of eight deliveries midway through the innings, the result was more or less set in stone, even if Vijay Shankar tried to shepherd the chase with a sluggish 54-ball 69 and MS Dhoni struck a few lusty blows in an unbeaten knock of 30 — both knocks exhibting little intent to get anywhere close to the target.

He is just enjoying game!