IPL 2021, DC vs CSK: Delhi sneaks past Chennai to take the top spot

Delhi Capitals came up with a composed performance to edge past Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in the IPL 2021 clash in Dubai on Monday. Consequently, it has risen to the top spot.

It was a calm and composed performance from Delhi Capitals (DC), as it sneaked past former champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 50 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Dubai International Stadium on Monday. With this win, DC has scaled to the table's top spot, while CSK slips a place to second.

Winning the toss, DC skipper Rishabh Pant elected to bowl, as he made a change, bringing in Ripal Patelfor Steven Smith. As for CSK, skipper MS Dhoni made three changes.

CSK was off to a panicky start, losing openers Faf du Plessis (10) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (13) in the Powerplay by 39 runs. Just 20 runs later, Moeen Ali (5) fell to spinner Axar Patel in the eighth, followed by Robin Uthappa (19) off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the next over, at 62.

However, it was followed by a 70-run stand between Ambati Rayudu (55) and Dhoni (18) that brought CSK into the game, as Rayudu also scored his 21st IPL half-century in the process. At 132, the latter departed to pacer Avesh Khan in the final over, while CSK finished at 136/5. DC put five bowlers into the attack, with Axar claiming a couple and possessing the best economy.

As DC came out for the chase, it too was off to a shaky start, losing a couple in the PP, with Prithvi Shaw (18) and Shreyas Iyer (2) departing by 51 runs. Pant (15) fell 20 runs later to spinner Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over.

It was followed by a decent 22-run stand between opener Shikhar Dhawan (39) and Ripal Patel (18) before the latter fell to Jadeja in the 13th, at 93, followed by Ashwin (2) and Dhawan off pacer Shardul Thakur in the following over by 99. Nevertheless, DC refused to press the panic button, as Shimron Hetmyer (28*) and Axar (5) contributed to a robust 36-run stand for the seventh wicket, scaling DC back into the game.

Although the latter fell to pacer Dwayne Bravo in the final over, Kagiso Rabada (4) hit the winning boundary to help DC win by three wickets, with a couple of balls to spare. CSK utilised six bowlers, with Jadeja and Bravo claiming a couple each, while Thakur nailed it with the economy.
Brief scores: CSK 136/5 (Rayudu- 55; Axar- 2/18) lost to DC 139/7 in 19.4 overs (Dhawan- 39; Thakur- 2/13) by three wickets.