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Delhi Capitals (DC) have almost ensured that they will finish in the top two teams on the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 points table and have two chances to qualify for the season's final. DC edged past Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ‘clash of titans’ registering a narrow three-wicket win in the last over. DC are now at the top of the points table with 10 wins from 12 games and are unlikely to slip to third or fourth position on the points table even if Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) win their remaining two matches.
Hetmyer finishes the job
Shimron Hetmyer was demoted down the order in the run chase of 137 as DC wanted to keep the left-right combination going in the middle. Coming in to bat at no.7 after Ravichandran Ashwin's wicket, the team still needed 39 runs to win from 35 deliveries and opener Shikhar Dhawan's wicket in the same over only made it tougher. Hetmyer played a crucial cameo of 28 from 18 deliveries to seal the win for DC. The left-handed batter targetted his countrymen Dwayne Bravo and hit two boundaries off his over including a dropped chance. The blue-haired Hetmyer made the dropped chance count and hit a six off Josh Hazlewood's penultimate over not leaving too much to score in the last over.
Gowtham drops the game
CSK paid a hefty sum of Rs 9.25 crore for Krishnappa Gowtham after an intense bidding war with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, the bowling all-rounder is yet to make his CSK debut and with his performance in tonight's game as substitute fielder did not do him any good either. In the 18th over, Gowtham dropped an absolute sitter giving Hetmyer and DC a major reprieve. Moreover, it went for a boundary releasing pressure off DC batters.
Thakur's domination
Performances like these from Shardul Thakur makes one wonder why he is in the reserves and not in the main squad for T20 World Cup. Thakur brought CSK back in the game with a double blow in the 15th over to get the wickets of Dhawan and Ashwin. He was economical as well in the low-scoring run chase giving 13 runs from his four overs. His knack of taking wickets at crucial junctures has been a great asset for CSK and the Indian team.
CSK middle order disappoints
So far, openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis have done the bulk of scoring for CSK and their under-performing middle order has not been exposed much. Against a quality bowling attack of Capitals, the in-form openers fell within powerplay overs and the result was as expected. Replacing Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa failed to make an impact on his CSK debut getting out for a run-a-ball 19. Skipper MS Dhoni was far from impressive with a strike rate of 66.67 after consuming 27 deliveries. Ambati Rayudu was the top performer for CSK scoring his first half-century of the second leg and helping the team post a fighting total in overcast conditions.
