Dhoni turns clock back; Capitals register first win
At approximately 11pm on Sunday night, Vizag came alive. ‘Hosts’ Delhi Capitals were on their way to their first win, but the result suddenly seemed irrelevant for a crowd in the vicinity of 30,000.
MS Dhoni strode out to the middle to bat for the first time since last year’s final and immediately sent the decibel levels soaring when he walloped his first ball for four through square leg, and bludgeoned his third through extra cover.
When he hit Khaleel Ahmed for an inside-out six in the next over, they threatened to blow the roof off. Chennai Super Kings still needed 46 off 12; one more than a side had ever made off the last two overs to win in the IPL.
Mukesh Kumar was tasked with bowling a clutch over. His figures until then read 2-0-16-3. An excellent over there would’ve helped close out the game. And he delivered by bowling a series of excellent yorker-length deliveries Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t get underneath.
The over went for 5, and Super Kings needed 41 off six.
That was no reason for the crowd to stop. Dhoni was on strike. They wanted him to roll the clock back. And he did, walloping Anrich Nortje for two fours and two sixes. Dhoni finished 37 not out off 16, Super Kings fell short by 20 runs, but you couldn’t quite say if the fans in yellow were disappointed at the result.
Dhoni had that effect. But after he scythed a high full toss for six to finish the game, there was finally a realization that the Capitals had won.
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Magnificent Mahendra
He's here.
Batting for the first time since the IPL 2023 final.
Two boundaries off his first three balls.
Could've been out of his second, but for Khaleel putting down a sitter at point.
The noise is unreal. Chants of CSK and Dhoni doing rounds. They need 58 off 18. Is there life in it yet?
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Nortje finds his gears
Three nights ago in Jaipur, he was taken to the cleaners by Riyan Parag in the final over. Bowling coach James Hopes felt Nortje hadn't loaded up enough in the lead-up to the season, but exuded confidence their premier fast bowler would find his rhythm soon enough.
Today, he's been outstanding. With CSK needing 79 off 30, he bowls a gun third over - full of wide yorkers to deny the batters. The over goes for just seven and the pressure that had crept up on the batters consumed Shivam Dube as he picks out long-off to give Mukesh a third wicket.
The decibel levels have just gone up a few notches, enough to blow the roof off, as MS Dhoni walks out to bat for the first time this season.
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Mukesh joins the party
In the previous game, with Ishant Sharma missing, Mukesh Kumar was given the new-ball responsibilities.
With Ishant back, Mukesh is held back specifically for the second-half, a role the franchise has been happy to give him since that's where he's tried to make a name for himself in India's T20I setup.
He comes on in the 14th and picks up two wickets in two balls to potentially shut CSK out.
Rahane goes swinging, only to toe-end a slog to long-on. Then Mukesh does rookie Sameer Rizvi with some late nip to have him nicking to short third.
CSK 103/5, need 89 off 36.
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Axar breaks threatening stand
Daryl Mitchell and Ajinkya Rahane kept going at a run-a-ball, until they picked 17 off Rasikh Dar's second over to bring the equation down to 117 off the last 10 overs. But the pressure of the asking rate eventually gets Mitchell as Axar hangs on to a return catch to break a 68-run stand off 44 balls.
CSK activate their Impact Player.. In comes Shivam Dube for Matheesha Pathirana. He could've been out first ball, but for a miss behind the stumps by Pant. Looking to hack one into the leg side, Dube got a thin inside edge that Pant couldn't hang on to.
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Khaleel thrives in Powerplays under lights
Our data wiz Shiva Jayaraman has dug out a lovely nugget:
Bowling in the Powerplay under lights, he has an economy of 6.5, concedes a boundary every 6.35 balls. When he’s bowled in the first match of the day, not under lights – economy of 8.8, a boundary every 3.75 balls.
In Delhi Capital’s first match of the season, an afternoon game, he conceded 28 runs from his two overs in the Powerplay. In his last-two matches when bowling under lights he has figures are 3 for 18 in the Powerplay overs, including 2 for 9 in this match. Just one four has been hit off him from 36 balls.
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Welcome back, Rasikh Dar
Rasikh Dar burst onto the scene in 2019. Raw pace, ability to hustle batters, swing the ball late - it had Shane Bond drooling. Mumbai Indians invested in him, allowing him to train in their private facility, facilitating club cricket opportunities in the UK.
And then came a ban. A two-year ban for age-fraud. Rasikh went incognito. But, all along, he was under MI's care in Navi Mumbai. With access to a sports psychologist, nutritionist, private coaches to help him utilize the time away from the game better.
But the auction dynamics meant they had to let him go, and when they tried to bid and get him back, KKR pipped MI to sign him at the auction. But one season later, he was let go.
Enter Capitals, and in 2024, comes in for his first IPL game in two years. As an impact sub for Prithvi Shaw in their third game. Has the same, old zip, but has brought in a lot many more variations. Let's see how he goes.
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Khaleel: strike II
Gaikwad first, Rachin Ravindra next.
He just couldn't lay bat on ball tonight. Beaten thrice trying to flay short of length deliveries away from the body, he swings one across the line, only to top-edge one to Stubbs running back from mid-off. 2 from 12 tonight after laying down the marker in the first 10 balls in each of his previous two innings.
CSK in early trouble at 7/2 in the third.
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Gaikwad v Khaleel
9 Number of dismissals in 22 innings against left-arm seamers since IPL 2022.
Well, make that 10 dismissals. Khaleel bowls an excellent first over that he tops off with the wicket of Gaikwad. Gets the ball to move back in a wee bit, Gaikwad plays down the wrong line as he gets an inside edge through to Pant as he attempts to punch through the line. Massive, massive strike up front.
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Mid-innings show
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Pant's helicopter takes off
That strong bottom hand, the shovel, ability to manufacture something out of yorker-length deliveries - it's all in evidence as Rishabh Pant gets a 31-ball half-century to help Capitals overcome a middle muddle. From looking good for 200 when Warner-Shaw were there, they stumbled until Pant's flourish has taken Delhi Capitals to 191.
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Superman Pathirana - Act II
134kph. Flicked over the infield
134kph short ball. Hammered disdainfully by Mitch Marsh over deep square
150kph thunderbolt. Full, fast, straight, late tail. Magic. Middle pole knocked out
148kph delivery: Awkwardly pushed back by Stubbs
149kph in-swinging Yorker: Stubbs at sea. Stumps rattled. Duck.
134kph short ball. Hammered disdainfully by Mitch Marsh over deep square
150kph thunderbolt. Full, fast, straight, late tail. Magic. Middle pole knocked out
148kph delivery: Awkwardly pushed back by Stubbs
149kph in-swinging Yorker: Stubbs at sea. Stumps rattled. Duck.
What a comeback. This young kid is special. There was some confusion over his availability for the tournament as late as last week due to a back injury. Well, that's one way to banish any doubts.
A magical 15th:
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Can Pant kick-on?
Pant has struggled to manufacture strokes. It's been made a tad tougher when bowlers have dug it into the pitch. Twice, Pant has lost his shape trying to swing to the hills. He's on 13 off 14 going into the last six overs. DC 129/2 after 14 overs. ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster predicts DC to score 189.
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Superman Matheesha
Warner reverse ramped Mustafizur.
Nailed it. The ball was flying. Pathirana was flying. He leapt high, stuck his right hand full stretch to pluck the ball as he was airborne. His reaction: a sheepish smile and a 'did I really do it?' smile. A massive 93-run opening stand has ended.
And as the old adage goes, one brings two. A ball after Prithvi nails a slog-sweep for six off Jadeja, he's caught behind trying to cut. MS Dhoni becomes the first wicketkeeper to effect 300 dismissals in T20s.
Rishabh Pant and Mitch Marsh at the crease.
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Warner sets tempo with 32-ball fifty
Matheesha Pathirana has been summoned a lot earlier than CSK usually like to bring him in. That's because the opening partnership has swelled and Warner's taking the attack against Jadeja's left-arm spin. He's already been muscled for two sixes into the leg-side boundary en route to a 32-ball half-century.
Most fifty-plus scores in IPL:
David Warner 66
Virat Kohli 59
Shikhar Dhawan 53
AB de Villers 43
Rohit Sharma 43
David Warner 66
Virat Kohli 59
Shikhar Dhawan 53
AB de Villers 43
Rohit Sharma 43
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DC's best start this season
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Gaikwad bowls a third straight over for Chahar in the Powerplay (the fifth of the innings), but it's one that has given the Capitals a lift-off as Warner takes the attack to him.
And there's more runs to be had in the following over as Mustafizur starts poorly; Prithvi takes the attack to him by hitting him for three fours in a row.
This is the first time in three games so far this season that Capitals haven't lost a wicket in the powerplay. Capitals 62/0 in six.
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Shaw v Chahar
6 Number of times Prithvi has been out to Chahar in 10 innings.
Chahar also has new tricks up his sleeve this season, says Deiva Muthu. Validated by the CSK camp.
“He's done a few technical changes which has made a big difference,” Eric Simons, CSK bowling consultant said. “One of the things we've seen is his bouncer has become really effective and when you've got something like that as a weapon, then that just adds another weapon to your arsenal, which is really important.
“I don't think he's swung in as much as he can. He's working on a few things to get to see him in a better position. So, I think it's still the best to come. But one thing that's good is he's in good shape. He's obviously had a few injury issues over the last while, but he looks really confident around that.
"He's running hard. And as I said, the fact that he's volume-balanced just tells you about his mental state, where he's at. And the fact that he's doing that as well as he is exciting. I still think there's some more swing to come."
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The line-ups
Two changes for the Capitals. Prithvi Shaw gets his first game of the tournament, hoping to turnaround his fortunes. He was left out halfway through last year, and has since undergone rehab for an ankle injury just when he was blazing a trail in the county circuit. There's also a comeback for Ishant Sharma, who hobbled off two overs into his first game. Kuldeep Yadav (niggle) and Ricky Bhui miss out.
In typical MS Dhoni style, his successor Ruturaj Gaikwad says CSK "playing the same squad."
Delhi Capitals: 1 Shaw, 2 Warner, 3 Marsh, 4 Pant (capt, wk), 5 Stubbs, 6 Porel, 7 Axar, 8 Nortje, 9 Mukesh, 10 Ishant, 11 Khaleel
Impact Players Sumit, Kushagra, Salam, Dubey, Jake Fraser-McGurk
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Gaikwad (capt), 2 Ravindra, 3 Rahane, 4 Mitchell, 5 Jadeja, 6 Rizvi, 7 Dhoni (wk), 8 Chahar, 9 Pathirana, 10 Deshpande, 11 Mustafizur
Impact Players: Dube, Shardul, Rasheed, Moeen, Santner
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Pant wins toss; Capitals opt to bat
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Whose home game is this?
Deivarayan Muthu in Vizag: This is supposed to be DC’s adopted home – they even had their pre-season camp in Vizag – but now there are only yellow jerseys all around the city. At my hotel, which is about 15 kms away from the ACA-VDCA ground. At Novotel along the Varun beach, where the teams are staying. At lassi and samosa stalls near the venue. Even around the threates, which are screening the brand-new Teugu movie Tillu square.
Hundreds had turned up outside the gate of the ACA-VDCA ground on the eve of the match to catch a glimpse of Dhoni, but he didn’t turn up for training on Saturday. Vizag has turned up in huge numbers once again on Sunday as Dhoni returns to the scene of his first big innings twenty years ago.
There’s a tinge of grass on the pitch, which suggests CSK will keep both Pathirana and Mustafizur in their XI or XII (accounting for the Impact Player). Prithvi Shaw batted at the nets for about 20 minutes on Saturday, but wasn’t at his fluent best.
Capitals coach Ponting has acknowledged the work he’s put in behind the scenes, but it remains to be seen whether he’s done enough to break into the team. WI wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope missed DC’s last game with a back spasm, but has now been given clearance to train.
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