The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam saw the Delhi Capitals defeat the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024, earning their first victory of the season. Despite Rishabh Pant’s outstanding batting performance, the bowlers made a significant contribution to the team’s 20-run victory over the reigning champions.
Prithvi Shaw and David Warner gave the hosts a great start when they batted first. With 43 runs off of 27 deliveries, the returning Shaw displayed glimmers of his devastating potential, while Warner scored 52 runs off of 35 deliveries. Although he appeared to be in excellent form, Matheesha Pathirana made an incredible catch that forced him to return to the pavilion. Following his departure, Rishabh Pant took care of business, scoring 51 runs off of 32 deliveries.
Also read: Shot of the Day – David Warner whacks Deepak Chahar into second tier in Vizag – DC vs CSK IPL 2024
As Delhi scored 191/5 in the first innings, the DC captain produced several outstanding strokes towards the conclusion of the innings. The DC bowlers, especially Khaleel Ahmed, who took two wickets in the powerplay, were outstanding during the chase. CSK was so destructive with the new ball that they scored their first boundary after 23 deliveries. Afterwards, DC won their first game of the season because to a strong performance from Mukesh Kumar, who claimed three wickets.
Talking Points: 1. DC creates a stir with their new opening combo
Delhi made a change to their starting lineup following two straight losses, ultimately including Prithvi Shaw in the starting lineup. Warner and Shaw have had a dangerous combination in the past, but Shaw’s recent play did not factor into his selection for the first two games. That may have been part of the motivation for him to get going, as he went on to forge a 93-run alliance with Warner that was very beneficial to DC.
2. CSK batsmen are destroyed by Khaleel and Mukesh
Against the fresh ball, Khaleel Ahmed appeared unplayable. Despite being in excellent form, Rachin Ravindra found it difficult to score two runs off of twelve deliveries against the Indian bowler. When Khaleel eventually took two wickets, DC gained momentum. Later, after entering the attack, Mukesh increased the pressure on CSK by taking three wickets in Vizag.
In Vizag, Thala Dharisanam bats for Dhoni after 308 days.
Nobody anticipated that MS Dhoni, batting at number eight, could alter the tide of the match when it was all but over. With Dhoni, you just say, “Think along these lines.” It could have been an emotional act. In a match against a DC bowling team that was having a fantastic day in the middle, 42-year-old Thala proved he still had it by hitting 37 runs off of 16 deliveries. There is now only one demand in the market, but, dear Thala, please fill the order.
The losing skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, said:
I was pretty happy with how the bowlers came back after the first six overs, restricting them to 190 was a good effort. First innings played better for the batting side, second innings there was some seam movement. Rachin [Ravindra] was missing it by a big margin, because of the extra bounce and movement. That was the difference. At halfway I felt it was gettable, but we couldn’t capitalise in the powerplay. We were always behind, trying to catch up and get the rate down. First few overs we bowled well, but the last two overs [of the powerplay] was expensive. After two wins, you can expect one below par, so not much to worry about
Winning skipper Rishabh Pant said:
Bowlers have been clinical today. We’ve learnt from our mistake. He’s been working hard from last two weeks (Shaw). We thought it’s time to give him a chance and he flourished. It will depend on match to match, but if Mukesh can bowl at the death it’ll be great. As a cricketer I’ve to give my 100 percent. Took some time initially as I haven’t played much cricket in the last 1.5 years. This is something I’ve depended my life on. Always had the self-belief that whatever happens, it’s important to come back to the ground.
POTM Khaleel Ahmed said:
Have worked hard in the domestic season. Played a lot of matches in the last six months which has helped me know my game better. Love it when the ball swings and the batters get beaten. Have tried to figure out how I can keep myself fit. Red-ball game teaches you a lot about how the ball is coming out of the hand. Ultimate goal is to play for India.
India
