The talismanic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni showed his hitting prowess, hammering two big sixes to boost Chennai Super Kings’s score to 167 for 8 in 20 overs against Delhi Capitals in an Indian Premier League match in Chennai on Wednesday. Dhoni (20, 9 balls, 1×4, 2×6) smacked Khaleel Ahmed for a couple of maximums in the penultimate over to give a push to the score on an evening when run-making wasn’t very easy. The Capitals bowlers came to the fore, keeping the Super Kings batters on the leash on a slugging pitch.
MS Dhoni‘s wife Sakshi Dhoni and daughter were at the stadium. They rejoiced as Dhoni played a vintage knock.
10.05.2023 – Thala @ Anbudenpic.twitter.com/bezDcb9LwV
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 10, 2023
Thala Dhoni hitting six then Sakshi & Ziva celebrate #MSDhoni #SakshiDhoni #zivadhoni #Thala pic.twitter.com/5x46aFYciM
— Jitender Kakroda (@Jitu_kakroda) May 10, 2023
None of the CSK batters could go on and get a substantial score with Shivam Dube (25) being the highest score. There were 20s by Ruturaj Gaikwad (24), Ambati Rayudu (23) and Ajinkya Rahane (21).
Electing to bat after skipper Dhoni won the toss, the home team was pegged back by some fine bowling by the Capitals bowlers, especially left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2/27). Mitchell Marsh (3/18 ) was the best bowler while Kuldeep Yadav (1/28) and Lalit Yadav (1/34) were the other wicket-takers.
The big-hitting Dube smacked the first six of the innings, hoisting Axar Patel into the stands in the 11th over. He hit two more before a pull of Mitchell Marsh landed in the hands of skipper David Warner.
He made 25 (12 balls) and helped increase the CSK scoring rate which had been slowed down due to some good bowling.
The second over bowled by Ishant Sharma yielded 16 runs as Gaikwad hit three boundaries In the third over, Conway swished at a delivery from Khaleel and the bowler seemed to think he heard a nick. However, the Capitals didn’t review it and later the replays showed a faint edge.
Conway, however, did not make much of the ‘life’ as he was trapped LBW by Axar Patel for 10.
At the end of the powerplay, CSK were 49 for 1.
Gaikwad was dismissed trying to up the pace, caught in the deep as Axar Patel continued to stymie the Super Kings.
Moeen Ali could not force the pace and was sent back by another spinner-Kuldeep Yadav- caught in an attempt to reach out and play a shot.
There was no six hit by the CSK batters in the first 10 overs as the Capitals bowlers sought to put the squeeze on run-scoring.
Ajinkya Rahane’s innings was cut short on 21 when Lalit Yadav took a superb return catch.
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