Mumbai: Starting pair Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw subjected the Chennai Super Kings to thinning with their explosive batting when Delhi Capitals won a seven-wicket victory here in their Indian Premier League start here on Saturday.
Dhawan struck out 85 off 54 balls and Shaw picked up 72 in just 38 deliveries as DC comfortably chased a goal of 189 with another 1.2 overs. The new captain, Rishabh Pant, scored the winning runs.
With Shaw and Dhawan in turbulent form, Delhi Capitals started on an exciting note and they sat at 65 without any loss at the end of the six Powerplay innings.
The two starting heads took their big shots with impunity and on all sides of the Wankhede Stadium, while Delhi Capitals chased past 100 in a fast time.
If he needs 90 runs in the last ten overs, DC can afford to dictate conditions and put pressure on CSK, with all wickets in hand. That Shardul Thakur and Sam Curran were sent for a learning chase took CSK completely out of the competition.
For Shaw, the innings was an extension of his Vijay Hazare Trophy form, and the slight adjustment in his technique and a straight backlight are wonders for Shaw.
‘I worked at the back [movement], I also focused with Pravin sir. I think it works quite well, “said Shaw.
The four-and-sixs continued to rain as DC approached the target with fuller ease. While the CSK bowling attack had no answer to the shots the DC starters played, they added two miserable catches from Shaw at 38 and 47. with Moeen Ali the unlucky bowler on both occasions.
Shaw took full advantage of the recovery and raced in just 27 balls to half a century while his senior partner Dhawan went to the landmark in 35 deliveries.
Shaw hit nine fours and three sixes, while Dhawan hit ten boundaries and two maximum points before missing a hundred.
Earlier, Suresh Raina announced his IPL return with a burning 36-ball 54 and propelled his team to a solid 188 for seven.
Sam Curran smashed 34 off just 15 balls to increase the CSK innings towards the end. Curran hit four fours and two sixes.
The last five overs have yielded 52 runs for CSK, thanks to Curran’s powerful innings.
Asked to bat first by Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad got CSK off the point with a pleasant ride between the point and the cover, two deliveries after being beaten by a Chris Woakes knockout.
Last season’s DC runner did not have to wait long for their first breakthrough as Avesh Khan (2/23 in 4 overs) caught Faf du PLessis in front of the wicket in the second over.
In the first ball of the third over, Woakes had Gaikwad caught in the slipway when CSK slipped to seven for two.
The English pacemaker pulled Gaikwad into a push with a ball moving slightly.
Raina came in – he missed the last IPL for personal reasons – and in the company of Moeen Ali the experienced fighter revived CSK’s innings and wanted to hit a challenging total against a strong DC batting line-up at Wankhede Stadium. .
During his 24-ball 36, Moeen hit four boundaries and two sixes and played a good helping hand to Raina.
Experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin cut Moeen’s innings short when the versatile player landed him in an awkward position while going for a reverse sweep, and the ensuing top end ended in a good catch by Shikhar Dhawan, who run backwards from short third man to hold the ball.
Ambati Rayudu came in and immediately came on and hit a couple of sixes and a four to chase away to 23 off 16 balls before Tom Curran ended his stay in the middle.
Meanwhile, Raina went about his business in a way that did not give the impression that he would return to the top flight after a long hiatus.
Raina set himself in motion with a four from Woakes and Ashwin then worked for two consecutive boundaries, not afraid to dance against the wicket against the volatile spinner.
Using his feet well, veteran Southpaw, the leg turner, Amit Mishra,
for two and also scored a maximum against Ashwin.
It was no different with Marcus Stoinis, as Raina pulled out the Australian medium passport for another six before running out after a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja (26).
Source: Telangana Today