CSK moved to the 8th spot with a resounding 91-run victory over DC.
Invited to bat first, the defending champions piled up a massive 208/6 in their 20 overs. Opener Devon Conway starred with the bat, slamming 87 off 49 balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad (41 off 33 balls) and Shivam Dube (32 off 19 balls) also made notable contributions with the bat while skipper MS Dhoni played a dazzling cameo of 8-ball 21*.
WATCH – MS Dhoni slams two spectacular sixes during his dazzling cameo against DC
In reply, DC’s innings folded for a paltry 117 in 17.4 overs. All the CSK bowlers were successful in picking wickets but it was off-spinner Moeen Ali, who stole the show with remarkable figures of 3 for 13 in his four overs. Simarjeet Singh (2-27), Mukesh Choudhary (2-22), and Dwayne Bravo (2-24) took two scalps each while Maheesh Theekshana (1-29) chipped in with a wicket.
Speaking after the game, captain Dhoni heaped praise on the entire unit for their collective efforts. However, he admitted that it would have been great if the team had more such outings in the early phase of the tournament.
“It would have been better if we would have had a win like this somewhere early. It was a perfect game. The batters did really well. It was a toss where we wanted to win and field first, but in my heart, I was fine to lose the toss. The ball stops and comes, and it behaves only after 13-14 overs. Everybody contributed a bit. Runs on the board really help, and it was important to restrict their big-hitters,” said Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“Both Simarjeet and Mukesh have taken time to mature. They have the capability, the more they play, the better they’ll get at game sense. It is ultimately about reading which is a good delivery to bowl and which is a delivery to not bowl. In T20 cricket, it is all about knowing which delivery not to bowl. I don’t like going in and hitting straight away. But with only 12 deliveries left, if a few of us contribute with scores of 8 off 2, it helps. But scoring just 2 or 3 runs doesn’t help,” he added.
CSK still have a chance to make it to the playoffs by winning their remaining four matches. However, their fate will still be dependent on other team’s results.
However, Dhoni isn’t thinking about the playoffs and focusing on one game at a time, citing that he’s not that good at mathematics.
“I am not a big fan of maths. Even in school, I wasn’t good at it. Thinking of the NRR doesn’t help. You just want to enjoy the IPL. When two other teams are playing, you don’t want to be under pressure and thinking. You just have to think about what to do in the next game. If we make the playoffs, great. But even if we don’t it’s not the end of the world,” he concluded.
Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians in their next match on May 12.