IPL 2019, DCvCSK: Super Kings makes it two in a row

Set to chase a modest target of 148, CSK was off to a flier despite losing Ambati Rayudu cheaply for five in the third over. Shane Watson, who was out for zero in the season's first match against RCB, got into his groove striking four boundaries and three towering sixes and looked good to kick on before Amit Mishra got him stumped on 44. 

Watson and Suresh Raina were involved in a 52-run partnership for the second wicket off 24 balls. Raina looked in an aggressive mood creaming four boundaries and a six but he too fell prey to Mishra's guile and was neatly held by Rishabh Pant for 30 (16b, 4x4, 1x6). Left-arm spinner Axar Patel bowled a tidy spell giving away only 16 runs from his quota of four overs. 

After the dismissal of Raina, the runs dried down for CSK as the Delhi bowlers bowled according to the field. Skipper MS Dhoni steered the side home in the last over remaining not out on 32.

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan scored a painstaking half-century in Delhi Capitals' sub-par 147 for 6 against Chennai Super Kings on a lifeless Kotla track.

The senior opener once again played the role of sheet anchor in his 51 off 47 balls that had seven boundaries but unfortunately failed to accelerate during the final overs. This left the home team at least 30 runs short of a fighting score.

From a comfortable 120 for 2 with the dangerous Rishabh Pant at the crease, CSK seized the momentum, effecting a middle-order collapse. Capitals lost four wickets for seven runs in just 1.5 overs. From 118 for 2 after 15 overs, the last five overs yielded only 29 runs.

With the ball stopping and coming, Capitals batsmen found Dwayne Bravo's (3/33 in 4 overs) variations difficult to handle. Ravindra Jadeja (1/23 in 4 overs) also made life difficult for the Capitals in the middle overs and Harbhajan Singh (0/30 in 4 overs) also bowled as many as 10 dot balls.

Dhawan, however, continued to hold one end up and hit the occasional boundary in between, even as stroke making became increasingly difficult.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 147 for 6 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 51, Dwayne Bravo 3/33) lost to Chennai Super Kings 150 for 4 in 19.4 overs (Shane Watson 44, MS Dhoni 32*)