Opener Shikhar Dhawan smashed his maiden century in the Indian Premier League as Delhi Capitals defeated Chennai Super Kings by five wickets on Saturday, 17 October.
Choosing to bat first, opener Faf du Plessis’ half-century followed by Ambati Rayudu (25-ball 45*) and Ravindra Jadeja’s (13-ball 33*) late flourish took CSK to 179/4 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
In response, Dhawan smashed a 58-ball 101* but it was Axar Patel who eventually took Delhi across the line. Needing 17 runs off the last over, Dhawan ran a single after a wide on the first ball bowled by Jadeja, putting Patel on strike. Axar smashed two sixes, ran a double and then hit another six, helping Delhi win with a ball remaining.
Shikhar reached the three-figure mark off 57 deliveries – his maiden T20 hundred – while his knock included 14 boundaries and one six.
With this win, Shreyas Iyer’s Delhi replace Mumbai Indians at the top of the points table with 14 points from nine games. CSK continue to languish at the sixth place with three victories so far.
CSK’s Innings
Delhi Capitals handed the ball to Tushar Despande for the first over, and in his second IPL game, the 25-year-old removed Sam Curran for a duck as Anrich Nortje took a stunner at the boundary.
From there, opener Faf du Plessis scored a half-century with a single on his 39th delivery and on the very next ball Nortje cleaned up Watson (28-ball 36) to end the 87-run partnership.
Faf was sent back to the hut for 58 (off 47 balls) after Dhawan took a diving catch off Rabada’s delivery. With this wicket, the pacer became the fastest to reach 50 IPL wickets.
Coming in to bat at number five, captain Dhoni could add only 3 runs before becoming Nortje’s second victim of the day.
Rayudu and Jadeja then stitched an unbeaten 50-run partnership off 23 balls. All-rounder Jadeja smashed four sixes in the last two overs while Rayudu’s knock included four sixes and a boundary.
Nortje finished with figures of 2/44. Tushar (1/39) and Rabada (1/33) took a wicket each while Axar Patel (0/23) and R Ashwin (0/30 in 3 overs) remained wicketless.
Delhi Capitals’ Innings
Pacer Deepak Chahar struck early in the innings, taking two wickets in the Powerplay to reduce DC to 26/2 in the first 25 balls. Prithvi Shaw fell for his second-straight duck while No.3 batsman Ajinkya Rahane was caught out for 8.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan batted through the innings even as wickets fell around him. He stitched a 68-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer before Dwayne Bravo removed the captain for 23 (off 23 balls).
Dhawan, who was dropped multiple by CSK fielders, reached the fifty-run mark off 29 deliveries.
Marcus Stoinis came in, smashed two sixes and a boundary, but fell Shardul Thakur for a 14-ball 24. DC were 137/4, still needing 43 runs from 26 balls.
Curran bowled a brilliant 19th over, removing Alex Carey (4) and leaking just four runs, which left Delhi needing 17 runs off the last over.
Dhoni would’ve usually turned to Dwayne Bravo to defend those 17 runs, but the spinner was unfit and had stepped out of the field.
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