Rahul fifty helps DC beat CSK in Chepauk for first time in 15 years

Chennai Super Kings are starting to lose control of their fortress. For the second time this season, a visiting team that hadn't tasted victory against them at Chepauk in years was able to utterly dominate them. This resulted in the strangest situation. The crowd here bays for MS Dhoni to come out and bat. They cheer their own team's wickets in anticipation of his arrival. Well, on Saturday, he was there in the 11th over, but there was only silence.

In the absence of Faf du Plessis, who was not quite fit to play, KL Rahul opened the batting. He needed a little time to get used to the pace of a pitch that was quite dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming into the bat. He was 25 off his first 20 balls.

Then there was a brief period where CSK's bowlers missed their marks and every time they did, Rahul was there to punish them. He was especially severe on the IPL's purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, taking him for 20 off nine balls including two fours and a six. From 25 off 20 balls, he hit 36 off 18, which included a reverse scoop off Mukesh Choudhary, the only bowler he actually targeted. Mukesh conceded 40% of the boundaries that DC hit.

Even towards the end of Rahul's innings, it was apparent that hitting out was becoming difficult. He only scored 16 off his last 13 balls. DC understood that. Mukesh Kumar took pace off even with the new ball and picked up Rachin Ravindra. Ruturaj Gaikwad timed the pants off a Mitchell Starc short ball but didn't quite place it well enough. He threw his head back as soon as Jake Fraser-McGurk took the catch at deep backward square leg. CSK were 20 for 2 in the third over. It had been eight years since they've been able to chase a total over 180 in the IPL. This was not the start they wanted.

He had only one boundary from his first 31 deliveries. That's not for the lack of trying. According to ESPNcricinfo's data, he had presented an aggressive response to 13 balls but that only earned him 19 runs. Capitals were so good in denying him the freedom of his arms. The pitch being slow as well didn't let him get away with the connections that he made. More than once, he grimaced through an innings that brought him 69 runs in 54 balls.

In the last match, Stephen Fleming said Dhoni cannot bat for a long time and therefore they ration his appearances. That's why he batted at No. 9 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru because there was no point in him coming any earlier.

This time they had no choice. Half the side was in the hut with only 10.4 overs on the board. Kuldeep Yadav had delivered a killer googly to Ravindra Jadeja. The batter did not read it. He wasn't even allowed the chance to pick it off the pitch. The length was so perfect, bringing him forward and then turning the wrong way to hit his pad instead of his flailing bat.

That brought Dhoni to the crease. He's won World Cups before. But this might have been the first time he was batting in front of his parents. They were at the ground, to watch him score 30 off 26 and his team lose by 25 runs. It was a difficult evening for CSK fans. Their chances of winning, according to ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster, was down at 9.51% even before the chase was halfway through. Jadeja is yet to bowl his full quota of overs in four matches. Ashwin has done so only twice in two games. CSK have hit the fewest sixes in IPL 2025. Their middle order (4-7) is struggling badly, averaging 21.23, the third-lowest of the tournament.

He's been trying to hit out, but DC have been so good against him. Nothing short. No room to free the arms. When you deny the batter that, on a pitch that is gripping and turning, it becomes really hard to score. Also, DC have protected the short boundary (64m vs 70m) very well.

According to ESPNcricinfo's data, Vijay has responded aggressively (tried to hit a boundary) off 13 balls he has faced today but that's only resulted in 19 runs. He does finally break free though in the 15th over against Kuldeep Yadav

In the last game, Stephen Fleming said MS Dhoni can't bat a long period of time because of his knees, that CSK thought it prudent to risk him out there only if the game was live. Well, this one is slipping away from them rapidly. And they don't have any batting left. So he's going to have to try here. He's been brought in at the 11th over. Dhoni's parents are at the ground today. That's a pretty big rarity. He's won world cups for his country but this might be the first time he's batting in front of them.

He wasn't really a bowler when he started. But during a stint at the NCA, he was told how rare legspin-bowling allrounders are. So he began working at that. And now he's wrecking CSK in their den. Vipraj Nigam is having a grand old time this IPL. To learn more about him, click here and enjoy.

Dube is gone, btw. He was under so much pressure to hit big because nobody from the other end was even trying to

Vijay Shankar is 15 off 16. Shivam Dube is 10 off 11. This is the perfect situation to introduce a wristspinner. Kuldeep Yadav knows the batters will be coming after him. And if they make the slightest mistake, he's in the game.

CSK are 59 for 3 after nine overs. Five of those overs have gone for less than a run a ball. No boundaries since the field spread. According to ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster, their chances of winning this game are 9.51%

They haven't been able to fill the experience that's left the team. Ambati Rayudu was usually manning one of these positions and whether he came off every game or not, the team always had faith in his ability. Ajinkya Rahane too.

Ruturaj Gaikwad's given up his opening position to move down the order for this reason, to make up for the hole in the CSK middle order. But it's not quite come off the way he has wanted. They're missing the engine room. Shivam Dube usually bats No. 4 but this season he's not had a set position.

He throws his head back because he timed the pants off that short ball. Saw it coming. Shifted outside the line of it to help it over the top behind square leg. He was looking for a boundary but it lands perfectly in the hands of the fielder in the deep. A little bit of care on placing it would have got him better results. But he's an instinctive hitter against fast bowling. That means he just goes for the shot.

There's why this is a good total for DC.

They take their first wicket with a pace-off delivery.

Ravindra is too early into his flick shot, and though he tries to adjust, he just pops a return catch.

That ball from Mukesh Kumar stopped on the pitch and had tennis-ball bounce.

KL Rahul carried Delhi Capitals on his shoulders with a high-quality half-century as the visitors posted 183 for 6 at Chepauk. Opening the batting in the absence of Faf du Plessis, he was able to pace his innings really well and more than that he took down one of Chennai Super Kings' main weapons. Rahul vs the IPL's purple cap holder, Noor Ahmad, was 20 runs in nine balls with two fours and a six.

Initially, Rahul (77 off 51) had to take some time to come to terms with a pitch that was dry and therefore prevented the ball from coming into the bat. He was 25 off 20 with one four and one six at the end of nine overs. But once he decided to pull the trigger, even CSK's best bowlers were no match for him. He took Noor, Matheesha Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries over the 11th, 12th and 13th overs as DC were put on course for their total. Two of those boundaries were mistakes by the bowler - Noor and Pathirana putting the ball in the slot - and all innings long Rahul was looking for those mistakes.

Mukesh Choudhary was taken down as well. He was the only bowler that Rahul took risks against, because he had identified him as CSK's weak link. Rahul reverse scooped him twice. He took further liberties when he moved across his crease at the start of the 19th over and swept a ball from the off side wide line to the square leg boundary. Pathirana closed the innings out by taking two wickets, including Rahul's but by then the score had reached more than competitive levels. Khaleel Ahmed with 2 for 25 was CSK's best bowler.

He's given nine boundaries away today. Noor on a bad day has given five. Everybody else is just two.

Rahul has picked on Choudhary. Moving around in his crease to open up unprotected areas. There was a sweep shot to a ball near the wide line that went for four at deep square leg.

The next two were full tosses as Choudhary went for the wide yorker. Rahul missed the first. He top-edged the second and Choudhary couldn't hold onto the catch.

The over ends with Stubbs smashing him for six and Gaikwad misfielding to give away a boundary

Once again, he's been an example of how to bowl at Chepauk as a fast bowler. Run in hard with the new ball, but kept your lengths where the batter can't drive you easily. When you return with the old ball, take pace off. He's having a good season even as his team is struggling around him.

There's a theory when you don't know which way the ball turns, you attack it with the sweep shot. The arc of the horizontal bat can account for whichever way the ball turns. You're going to have to pick the length right though. Rahul's been picking length very well in this innings. Sameer Rizvi, a former CSK player, pulled off the six in that sequence.

In the next over, the 16th, against Mukesh Choudhary, one of CSK's weaker bowlers, Rahul lets himself take a risk and plays two reverse scoops. He also yells out when he inside edges a late cut and the ball lands by his feet. That's a sign he understands he's in good form, the decisions he's taking are coming off more often than not. That's why he was disappointed that didn't come off. He's playing chess today. Not cricket.

He's played masterfully on a pitch that isn't exactly full of runs. In each of the last three (11, 12, 13) overs, he's taken boundaries off really good bowlers - Noor, Pathirana and Jadeja - but two of those were a mistake by the bowler. He's been very awake to those. Any time there's a mistake, he's been able to put it away. And in between, he's made sure he's got the singles and twos.

Definite signs of the ball not coming onto the bat now. The spinners are getting a little grip as well. So long as they hold a good length - full but not half-volley, short but not pullable or cuttable - they should be able to keep a lid on the scoring. Ashwin did that in the 10th over. And that leads to Noor getting a wicket. Axar might have picked the wrong 'un, he goes for the slog sweep, but doesn't connect.

A kick-ass innings in the T20 World Cup final, leading to a permanent spot at No. 5 in the ODI team, and now captaincy of an IPL team. Axar Patel is on his hero arc. He's also pretty savage on his fellow spin bowlers now that he's evolved past them.

Ashwin bowling the tougher overs helps his team-mates though. Jadeja comes on right after the field spreads and removes Abishek Porel. Left-arm spin to left-hand bat for the wicket. Though Jadeja mitigated an unfavourable match up by bowling around the wicket and angling the ball across him.

KL Rahul has batted practically everywhere in the IPL. He's even come out at No. 11 once. In some ways, his own versatility has led to this. Being able to keep wicket. Being able to hit spin as well as pace. That makes him the kind of player you use as a stop-gap. But he's a lot better than that. In this team, for example, he can very easily bat at the top of the order and go at his pace because he has people like JFM and Stubbs and Porel and Ashutosh who will be able to keep hitting from the other end.

Mukesh Choudhary gives too many shot options to the batter. In his first over, he started by looking for swing and gave up a half-volley. He pulled his length back, but every time Abhishek Porel had room to free the arms.

Choudhary understands what he has to do, his execution however leaves a lot to be wanted. The advantage of an early wicket is already fading. A new batter got off to a start before he even had to blink.

He followed through all the way up to Phil Salt's face. He celebrappealed against Virat Kohli. Khaleel Ahmed has been all fire this IPL season.

His speed seems to be up. He's really pushing through his action (which helps in creating those moments where he can get up close and personal with the batter) This red-soil pitch is giving him a healthy amount of pace and carry.

Early wickets are the reason CSK brought him in and he's putting every fibre of his being into getting them.

Fraser-McGurk is a destructive presence in the powerplay (SR 215.26, the best in the IPL, min 12 innings). Sending him back is a big tick, especially for a team whose batting has been suspect this season.

All the buzz about MS Dhoni captaining Chennai Super Kings dissipated as Ruturaj Gaikwad walked out for the toss at Chepauk on Saturday. He lost the toss and Delhi Capitals' Axar Patel did what a lot of people do on evening games in hot and humid conditions - bat first. They had one change. Faf du Plessis wasn't fit so he was replaced by Sameer Rizvi. DC's bat first XI only had three overseas players.

Gaikwad, who took a blow to the elbow in the last game creating doubt around his participation, noted that the pitch was dry, which suggests there could be help for the spinners, like the home team has been looking for. CSK had two changes with Devon Conway coming in - Chepauk liked that, there was an immediate roar - for Jamie Overton and Mukesh Choudhary replaced Rahul Tripathi. Those changes mean CSK have R Ashwin at No. 8 - assuming Shivam Dube comes in as the Impact sub - and only the bowlers to follow him.

CSK have won only one game in IPL 2025 and are placed eighth on the points table. DC on the other hand are yet to lose this season.

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Noor Ahmad, 9 Mukesh Choudhary, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, , 11 Matheesha Pathirana

Impact players list: Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Nathan Ellis

Delhi Capitals: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Abhishek Porel (wk), 4 Axar Patel (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Sameer Rizvi, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Vipraj Nigam, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Mohit Sharma

Impact players list: Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay