CSK vs DC Live Score, IPL 2021, Match 2: MS Dhoni and Co seek fresh start after underwhelming last season

IPL 2021, Live Cricket Score, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Delhi Capitals (DC): Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 2 of the Indian Premier League (2021) between CSK and MI at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. After an abysmal last season (their worst-ever finish in IPL history), CSK will aim to make amends and get their campaign rolling against Rishabh Pant-led DC. While CSK will be bolstered with the arrival of Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, DC will miss their South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje for the opening clash.

Preview: Reinvigorated with the arrival of their mainstays Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will aim to start the 2021 season on a high against Delhi Capitals (DC).

The MS Dhoni vs Rishabh Pant battle is what promises to spice up this contest. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman from Delhi will be leading his side for the first time. And that too against MS Dhoni, whose experience and tactical acumen speak for themselves.

File image of CSK skipper MS Dhoni (right) and DC skipper Rishabh Pant. Sportzpics

After a horrible last season, where they were knocked out in the group stages of the tournament, CSK made amends at the auction table and appear stronger on paper. Getting the team combination right as quickly as possible is something Dhoni would keep an eye on.

CSK have quality all-rounders in Jadeja, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Shardul Thakur, who lend balance and make the franchise a well-rounded unit.

As far as DC is concerned, all eyes will be on their bowling which looks relatively underwhelming in the absence of pacers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. Both the South Africans are undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine and will thus miss the side’s opening clash. The onus of leading by example in the bowling department will be on Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma.

DC’s strength is their batting. Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis and Pant make an enviable batting unit on paper.

With the clash taking place at Wankhede, a high-scoring contest is on the cards.

The teams (From):

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings.

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Sam Curran, R Sai Kishore, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujra, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth.