CSK vs DC

Delhi and Chennai are based at extreme ends of the country with significant differences in cultures, languages and ways of lives. Both places have produced cricketers of highest orders and share rich as well as proud history in Indian cricket. The story is a lot different one in IPL though with one team always punching above their weight while another always struggling to perform at their potentials. Here’s IPL CSK vs DC story so far.

Chennai Super Kings under the leadership of MS Dhoni have scaled mountains while Delhi Capitals are yet to win their first IPL title. Chennai Super Kings have maintained their core group of players together over the years while chopping and changing of strategies has not helped their North Indian counterparts. But winds have started to change directions for Delhi Capitals with Ricky Ponting at the helm of affairs. He has started hand-picking the young talents from the domestic circuits and giving them a longer run in the league.

CSK vs DC Head to Head

Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals have gone against each other in a total of 21 matches so far in IPL and as expected CSK have maintained a significant upper hand with 15 wins while Delhi Capitals have managed to take 6 matches in their kitty. CSK have been dominant at all the venues and also in the recent years with Chennai taking 4 of the last 5 matches played between these two sides.

Last meetings

Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals met for the first time last year very early in the season at Feroz Shah Kotla. Home team won the coin toss and elected to bat first. Like usual Kotla wicket, the pitch looked slow from the outset and Delhi batsmen’s struggles were there for all to see. Shikhar Dhawan did make a half-century but he took a considerable time out of the innings. Rishabh Pant tried to force things his way but didn’t last long. Delhi registered a moderate 147 runs from their 20 overs in DC vs CSK live. In reply, Shane Watson broke the back of run-chase with a quick-fire 44 in the very beginning. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni completed the formalities and Chennai Super Kings won the match by 6 wickets.

In CSK vs DC 2019, Delhi Capitals again won the toss and put CSK into bat this time. Shane Watson went for a duck but Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina consolidated the innings with a crucial partnership. MS Dhoni also had a day-out and blasted 44 off just 22 balls to finish CSK innings in style as he usually does. Chasing 180 to win, only Shreyas Iyer turned up in that innings with 44 runs and rest all faltered in a terrible way. Delhi Capitals capitulated for just 99 runs against the spin-trio of Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh to hand a massive victory to CSK.

Both teams again met in a qualifier for a place in the final. Chennai Super Kings won the toss at Vizag and decided to chase. Delhi Capitals had a reasonable start but Rishabh Pant gave the much needed impetus to the innings with his 38-run cameo. Delhi Capitals only put on a par score that night with 147 runs on the board against a discipline bowling lineup of Chennai. The total was always going to be a difficult one for DC to defend and CSK openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis made the light work of the chase with half-centuries. Chennai Super Kings won the match by 6 wickets comfortably and sailed into the final of IPL 2019.

Who are DC top batsmen?

Delhi batting lineup has always been evolving during the course of IPL years. It is only in the recent years under Ricky Ponting that the team has a long term vision of grooming young talents to help them become superstars of the game. And as a result of that, the numbers against Chennai Super Kings are comparatively low as most of the batsmen have been playing for the Delhi franchise only for last 2-3 years. Rishabh Pant is at the top with 185 runs from 5 innings while captain Shreyas Iyer is just behind with 184 runs from 7 innings. Shikhar Dhawan has been good with 166 runs from 5 innings and young Prithvi Shaw completes the list with 59 runs from 5 innings. Shikhar Dhawan has the average of 41.50 while Rishabh Pant strikes at 165.18 against Chennai Super Kings.

Shikhar Dhawan has an impressive record at Kotla while Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant dominate at away and neutral venues respectively. Delhi Capitals will be banking on Glenn Maxwell in the upcoming season to support the young blood in the big-ticket encounters.

Who are DC top bowlers?

Same as their batting lineup, inexperience is glaring easily through Delhi Capitals bowling lineup. Only Amit Mishra has the respectable record against Chennai Super Kings with 9 scalps from as many innings. Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult has taken 3 wickets from 4 innings and he is at the second position. Jagadeesha Suchith has a couple from a single match against CSK while Axar Patel has also taken same number of wickets although from three innings. Potential is always there in the bowling lineup but sometimes game time against these experienced oppositions do play a crucial role.

There is nothing much to analyze from the data but one can clearly see that slowness of the pitches at both venues complements the spin bowlers immensely. Indian domestic spinners along with international superstars of the likes of Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada and Sandeep Lamichhane need to come to the party this year if Delhi Capitals have any chances of correcting their record against Chennai Super Kings.