Two teams that are placed in opposite halves of the IPL 2023 points table in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to clash against each other on Wednesday, May 10, at the Chepauk.
Delhi, who have won four of their last five fixtures, are placed at the foot of the table with eight points in 10 games. However, they are yet to be out of the tournament and will enter the game on the back of a win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their previous outing at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
It was a comprehensive performance by the hosts, led by the charge of Phil Salt, who smoked 87 runs off just 45 balls. Opening the batting alongside David Warner, the overseas DC duo came out with positive intent in their run-chase of 182. While Warner lost his wicket for 22, Salt continued his onslaught and never let any RCB bowler settle.
He then stitched together a 59-run partnership alongside Mitchell Marsh and got DC closer to the target. Rilee Rossouw, who batted at No. 4, also smashed three sixes in his unbeaten 35-run knock. Salt, who clobbered eight boundaries and six lusty maximums, was unfortunate not to remain unbeaten till the end as a ripper from Karn Sharma ended his stay in the 16th over.
In the very next over, Roussow hit a six over deep mid-wicket to register an emphatic win over RCB.
Earlier, RCB opted to bat after winning the toss. Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli continued their impressive run with the bat, accumulating 82 runs for the opening wicket. While Faf was dismissed for 45, Kohli scored his sixth half-century of the season (55).
After Marsh pegged DC back into the match with two wickets on consecutive balls, Mahipal Lomror played a great knock and smashed 54* runs off 29 balls. Lomror's vital innings led RCB to a great first innings total of 181/4.
CSK scorecard from their last IPL 2023 game
Similar to DC, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will also enter into tonight's fixture on the back of a clinical win over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) in their previous game.
Hosting MI in Match 49 of the tournament, Chennai asked the visitors to bat first. The CSK bowlers rocked early blows for MI as they reduced them to 14/3 in no time.
Suryakumar Yadav then steadied the ship somewhat after adding 55 runs with Nehal Wadhera for the fourth wicket.
However, Suryakumar also lost his wicket for 26 in the 11th over against Ravindra Jadeja. Nehal Wadhera, who bought his time on the crease then started to attack the CSK bowlers before reaching his half-century in the 17th over.
Matheesha Pathirana, who bowled a superb spell at the death, claiming three wickets for 15, also dismissed Wadhera for a well-made 64. Despite Wadhera's best efforts, MI could only score 139 in the first innings.
In their 140-run chase, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway started brilliantly and smoked 46 runs off the first four overs.
Rohit Sharma then handed the ball to Piyush Chawla, who continued his rich vein of form and dismissed Gaikwad and then Ajinkya Rahane within the span of his three overs.
Conway, however, kept ticking away runs from the other end and scored a vital 44 off 42 balls. Shivam Dube hit a six in the 18th over before MS Dhoni calmly nudged a ball to a single to script CSK's first win over MI at Chepauk since 2011.
A win against the Delhi Capitals on Wednesday will all but seal the berth for the playoffs for the Men in Yellow.
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