Delhi Capitals secured a convincing 25-run victory over a lackluster and aimless CSK, marking their third consecutive win at the beginning of IPL 2025. KL Rahul established a solid foundation with a measured 77 runs, while wrist spinners Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav effectively stifled the hosts’ pursuit, enabling DC to achieve their first win against CSK at Chepauk since 2010.
KL Rahul plays a fantastic knock to lift up the Capitals
Delhi Capitals’ choice to bat first got off to a rocky start when Khaleel Ahmed made an early breakthrough, dismissing the formidable Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck on just four balls. Nevertheless, No. 3 batsman Abhishek Porel quickly shifted the momentum with an aggressive approach, scoring 19 runs off an over against Mukesh Choudhary. KL Rahul, returning to the top of the order in the absence of Faf du Plessis, played a supporting role initially but showcased his skill with a signature pick-up six off Khaleel. The left-arm pacer, however, ensured that DC did not dominate the PowerPlay, concluding with impressive figures of 3 overs, 16 runs, and 1 wicket, including eight dot balls.
As anticipated, spin played a significant role in Chennai, with Ashwin bowling the last over of the PowerPlay and later returning to allow only 21 runs in his three overs. Jadeja made an impact in his first over by dismissing Porel, who edged a delivery to short third. Axar Patel, promoted to No. 4, made an immediate statement with a six off his first ball, contributing a quick 21 runs off 14 deliveries before being bowled by Noor Ahmad. Rahul maintained his composure and fluidity, effortlessly accelerating his innings. He slog-swept Noor for a six and then advanced down the pitch to hit Jadeja for a boundary that reached the sightscreen, ultimately bringing up his half-century in just 33 balls. Noor faced a challenging spell, conceding 36 runs in his three overs.
DC’s pursuit of a total near 200 was hindered by two outstanding overs from Matheesha Pathirana, who allowed only 13 runs in his final spell. Khaleel supported this effort with a strong fourth over, taking the wicket of Sameer Rizvi and finishing with figures of 2 for 25. The only respite for the batting side came in the 19th over when Mukesh Choudhary conceded 15 runs, concluding a difficult outing with figures of 0 for 50. This late surge enabled DC to surpass 175, a target that CSK has not successfully chased at home since 2020.
CSK fail to chase the target due to top order collapse
CSK’s top-order woes persisted as they lost three wickets during the PowerPlay. Rachin Ravindra offered a return catch to Mukesh Kumar, while Ruturaj Gaikwad succumbed again to a short ball, pulling Mitchell Starc’s delivery directly to long leg. In the sixth over, Nigam made an impact with a googly that dismissed Devon Conway, who sent a leading edge to cover. DC could have claimed a fourth wicket had they opted to review an LBW appeal against Vijay Shankar; replays indicated that Starc’s inswinging yorker hit the boot before the bat, yet fielder Porel was convinced there was an edge.
As CSK’s innings faltered, spin bowlers tightened their grip. Shivam Dube briefly fought back with a couple of boundaries off Nigam, but the young leg-spinner quickly regained control, delivering a ball outside Dube’s reach that led to a mis-hit. With effective grip and turn, Nigam concluded with commendable figures of 2 for 27. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav applied further pressure with his clever variations, trapping Ravindra Jadeja LBW and prompting MS Dhoni to come to the crease in the 11th over. CSK then faced a 28-ball drought without a boundary until Shankar, who had been dropped on 18 and 27, finally ended the dry spell with three boundaries.
It took Dhoni 19 balls to score his first boundary, marking the longest wait for any batter this season. By the time he achieved this in the 18th over, the outcome was already clear. CSK required 54 runs from the final two overs, and although they managed 31 runs in the last three, they ultimately fell short. This disappointing conclusion to a chase that never gained momentum leaves CSK searching for solutions to halt their concerning decline.
SCORECARD: Delhi Capitals 183/6 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 77, Abhishek Porel 33; Khaleel Ahmed 2-25) beat Chennai Super Kings 158/5 in 20 overs (Vijay Shankar 69*; Vipraj Nigam 2-27) by 25 runs
