11:48 pm: Post-match presentation coming up...
MS Dhoni, the winning captain: ‘It’s quite bad, but it’s alright. I have not been training much. I think it’s the platform [about his batting form]. “It’s quite bad, but nothing much can be done because there’s not much of a resting period. I haven’t been training much because of that. T20 is not much workload, so it’s manageable. It’s very important for us to get off to a good start, not necessarily in terms of runs, but even a good partnership, and I can promote myself and come out at No. 5. [About batting lineup] It was about weighing Faf opening, Rayudu at 4 vs Rayudu opening and Faf at No 4. The first option gave us stability. Right now we have a luxury spot in our XI which we use according to situations. Death bowling is a concern, the margin of errors is very small, you need to know how to bowl to the field. Bowlers have to take responsibility.’
Shane Watson, player of the match for his 78 off 40 balls: ‘Good to get that big innings. Was targetting the smaller boundary, not any particular bowler. Trent Boult is a fantastic bowler, but for MS was lining him shows how he good he is hitting at the moment.’
Shreyas Iyer: “Not just me, but the entire dressing felt it was out [Watson LBW off the first ball]. We got close at the end, but losing four wickets had a massive impact. We’ll now need to win six out of six to stand a chance. That’s our motivation going forward.”
End of the match - Chennai Super Kings win by 13 runs
Well, no miracle after all. They needed 3 sixes from the last 3 balls, but DD get three singles instead. Credit to Delhi for taking it this far, though! Pant and Vijay Shankar have plenty to be proud of.
After 19.3, DD 195/5 - A wide followed by a couple. 17 needed off 3 balls. A lengthy chat between Ngidi, Bravo and Dhoni.
After 19.2 overs, DD 192/5 - Vijay Shankar gets to fifty!
Whoa, a miracle is still on the cards. A wide, and a single followed by a six over long on! Ngidi under a pressure here.
After 19 overs, DD 184/5 - 28 needed off the last over
Chennai should still win this. What an ordinary night this has been for Bravo though. Vijay Shankar smashes three sixes in over, going for 43 in 3 overs. Half volley, hit over long on. Short ball, pulled over midwicket. Slower half-volley, lofted over long on. Rayudu pleaded him to bowl the yorkers, Bravo won’t listen.
After 18 overs, DD 163/5 - Ngidi gets Pant and that should be it
A valiant effort from Rishabh Pant comes to an end as he finds Jadeja at deep point with a heave off Lungi Ngidi who gets his first IPL wicket and flashes that famous smile of his. The extra bounce and that width doing the trick. Happy Chennai camp. Dhoni misses a skier off the next ball, backpedalling. Tough chance but not for a keeper of Dhoni’s quality, usually.
That should be it as far as this run-chase is concerned though.
After 17 overs, DD 157/4 - 55 needed off 18 balls
11 runs from Bravo’s second over. Is there still life in this run-chase? Rishabh Pant gets two boundaries in that over, one helped along to fine leg and one smoked past the bowler. Well, well. He moves on to 75 off just 42 balls, keeping Delhi in the hunt here.
After 16 overs DD 146/4 - 50 for Pant!
Rishabh Pant continues to strike the ball well, in his own unique off-balance style! Gets to the landmark when Rayudu misfields at the long-off boundary, follows that up with a paddle sweep over short fine legfor four and a flick of the wrists over square for six. Another expensive over from KM Asif.
After 15 overs DD 128/4
DJ Bravo into the attack and goes for 11 runs as commentators talk about the distance between Chennai and Tirupathi and the time it takes in the queue. Can’t blame them we suppose, the run-chase is not exactly thrill-a-minute.
FUN FACT: 14 overs bowled in an hour (a minute or two under, in fact) for perhaps the first time this IPL. That’s what happens when Sir Jadeja bowls four overs!
DD 117/4 after 14 overs
After 3 tight overs, Harbhajan leaks runs off his fourth. 13 from his final over as Pant hits another outrageous six - sweeping from outside off and sending it over long on! What hand-speed. Vijay Shankar gets a boundary by helping one to fine leg.
DD 104/4 after 13 overs
JADEJA HAS BOWLED ALL FOUR OVERS THIS IPL! It’s happened. It’s finally happened. Jaddu finds himself being treated as a frontline bowler after all. 31 from his 4 overs and the wicket of Maxwell.
DD 97/4 after 12 overs
Another Harbhajan Singh over with just singles. Five of them in that over, has conceded just 13 from his 3 overs.
DD 92/4 after 11 overs
Rishabh Pant reminds everyone there are still two teams playing this game with a six and four in Jadeja’s over. Great use of the feet to target the mid-wicket fence on both occasions.
DD 78/4 after 10 overs
Not sure what’s getting over quicker - the overs when Jadeja and Harbhajan are bowling or DD’s hopes of winning this match. This is a typical CSK defence, using spinners after powerplay to dry up the runs. Another 4-run over from Harbhajan.
DD 74/4 after 8.5 overs - Maxwell out and time-out!
Ah, that’s Maxwell for you. Plays the most exquisite shot for four - cuts a ball through cover off his front foot, it races past the deep fielder. And then goes for an ugly heave off the next ball, misses a straight ball. Jadeja rattles timber.
DD 68/3 after 8 overs
Harbhajan comes on, starts off with three dot balls to Rishabh Pant. He is fidgety, tries to get a boundary off the next ball, but it’s too close to cut. Gets away with an underedge though. Bhajji concedes just four.
DD 64/3 after 7 overs - Iyer gone!
OH, DELHI! Jadeja comes on to bowl and builds pressure on DD with 5 runs off the first 5 balls. Shreyas Iyer tries to take a non-existent single off the last ball, after dabbing the ball to the right of Watson at short cover. A big mix-up, Pant doesn’t run, Iyer stranded at one end, Dhoni takes off a bail nonchalantly.
End of powerplay, DD 59/2 after 6 overs
Pant takes on Watson! Not sure we’d see many better shots this IPL. This is a good length ball from Watto, angling away from Pant who just picks it up nonchalantly and sends it soaring into the hands with a short-arm jab. A boundary to third man off the next ball. What a way to get going by Pant.
Productive is the right word for that powerplay, but who will be happier as the captain? Hard to tell. CSK have sent back the openers but DD have their best powerplay score in this IPL so far as well. Fascinatingly poised.
DD 46/2 after 5 overs - Munro gone
15 runs and a wicket as Asif comes back for his 2nd over! Eventful, alright. The Kerala quick is carted around the ground by Munro who goes 4-4-6 and OUT! Cut over point, powerful straight drive, an upper-cut over keeper and slip followed by a slog over square leg, where Karn Sharma takes a good high catch.
DD 31/1 after 4 overs
Munro gets going finally as Shane Watson comes on to bowl. A six over mid-wicket off the third ball, picking it from off-stump and a four to finish the over, as walks across and lofts the ball over mid-on for four.
DD 17/1 after 3 overs
Another solid over from Ngidi, he clearly has Munro’s number early on here. The Kiwi tries to get off strike but that would have been a suicidal run. Iyer manages to crack one boundary through cover, by creating room for himself but it’s still just 6 runs from the over.
DD 11/1 after 2 overs - Shaw gone
Oh, Prithvi Shaw! Had already scored two boundaries in KM Asif’s over (one, a mishit loft over mid-off and the next a powerful straight drive) but gets a bit too greedy and tries to clear mid-off again. This time the fielder has been brought straighter, another mishit is taken well by Jadeja. Makes tricky catches look simple.
One shot too many from young Prithvi, Asif has a wicket on his debut in his first over.
DD 1/0 after 1 over
DD have a steep chase ahead of them here But don’t forget, they scored 219 themselves, only 2 days ago. Good first over in the IPL for Ngidi, just a single by Shawoff the first ball. A series of swings and misses from Munro, thanks to the angle mainly.
09:57 pm: Ngidi starts off... Shaw and Munro need to give DD a good start if they have hopes ofwinning this tonight.
INNINGS BREAK: A Watto-MSD show!
A 40-ball 78, filled with sixes from Watson set it up. And then another MSD special! 51 runs off 22 balls, 5 sixes and 2 four. “He is absolutely smokin’ it at the moment!, says Faf who is happy he is not the opposition captain when @msdhoni is in this form.
Chennai finish very well too:
vs Mumbai: From 91/1 after 10, to 169/5 after 20 overs - 78 runs of last 10 overs
vs Delhi: From 96/0 after 10, to 211/4 after 20 overs - 116 runs of last 10 overs.
End of 20 overs, CSK 211/4 after 20 overs - FIFTY FOR MS DHONI!
Well, Mahi seems to be well and truly back! A full toss hit for six over midwicket, length ball swatted straight back for four and a double of the last ball takes the CSK skipper to a 22-ball half century!
Rayudu, meanwhile, is in such supreme batting form this season, that he has decided the only way he is going to be dismissed is by himself. Run out again after Pant drops a caught behind off Dhoni but DD manage to run Rayudu out for trying to sneak a bye. He ran two runs all by himself there, the poor guy.
UPDATE to the 19th over: As an aside... Dhoni was dropped! Who drops Dhoni at death? Colin Munro at deep mid-wicket, in this case and Avesh Khan was livid. Poor effort, but Pune is known to be a difficult venue for fielding at the deep.
After 19 overs, CSK 198/3
Great 19th over from the young Avesh Khan spoiled a bit by an ugly full toss off the last ball that Dhoni sends soaring into the stands. The pacer still finishes with just 28 runs after his 4 overs. You often wonder when the batsmen are going great guns in the shortest format - where have the yorkers and speedy low full tosses gone? Well, young Avesh shows the worth of just that, conceding just 5 runs off the first five balls. And you also get the answer to why the bowlers are sometimes hesitant because, if you miss the length, you’ll be hit out of the ground. A 108-metre six from MS DHONI!
After 18 overs, CSK 187/3 - another big over!
Wow, this is great batting at the death from CSK - who boast of the best strike rate in the death overs this tournament. Plunkett’s forgettable night, gets worse and this time it’s Rayudu’s doing. Four over square leg, the most exquisite six straight down the ground, and a clever, educated edge past short third man for four!
Dhoni: 31 off 14 balls
Rayudu: 38 off 20 balls
After 17 overs, CSK 170/3 - DHONI IN THE HOUSE!
What a start to Boult’s over. Digs it in short, taking the pace off, but MSD reads it like the back of his hand and pulls it powerfully. The distance that six went over the boundary line is 71 metres, but show us the maximum height from the ground level! How flat was that!? Follows that up with a six over long on and four over square leg. Ambati RA
After 16 overs, CSK 149/3
Amit Mishra with his final over and Dhoni is not going to defend too much now, from the looks of it. Tries to go big off the third ball, cannot connect with the wrong ‘un. But a big hit does come anyway, off the last ball. Dances down the track, gets to the pitch and flat-bats it over long off.
The Mahi show incoming?
After 15 overs, CSK 137/3
Quiet over from DD’s point of view, as Avesh Khan concedes . An interesting moment in the over there, as Dhoni gets hit on the thigh pad but tries to sneak a single with ball not leaving the crease. Avesh Khan runs all the way, picks it up and unleashes a wild throw aimed at Dhoni’s end. With his back turned away though, Dhoni (running at full pelt) puts a hand behind and tries to protect his lower back from getting hit! (He’s been a carrying niggle there this season, FYI)
After 14 overs, CSK 131/3 - Watson gone
The miserly Mishra ji (tonight at least) starts his third over with a bad ball, as a googly goes wrong - full on Rayudu’s pads, swept away for four. But Watson, who has treated the legspinner with utmost respect so far, decides he’s done enough of that, trying to clearing long-off, but the wide googly is not easy to put away - Delhi have their 3rd wicket! A 40-ball 78 for Watson and he misses out on a second 100 in Pune this year.
After 13 overs, CSK 123/2
A bit of course correction happening here? After a quiet few overs without boundaries, Rayudu (once) and Watson (twice) find the fence off Vijay Shankar. The TN all-rounder’s wide-outside-off strategy gets a bit predictable as the two batsmen make the most of the width on offer.
Watson: 77 off 38 balls
Rayudu: 7 off 6 balls
9 pm: 5 runs and 1 wicket off Maxwell’s first over 26 runs and 2 wickets in the last 4 overs. Can DD make the most of the small opening they have got?
After 12 overs, CSK 108/2 - DD back in this game!
Oho, Maxi strikes! Well, well. Shreyas Iyer with a good bowling change, there. First ball, round the wicket to Suresh Raina, the ball slides on with the angle and goes through the gate all the way and rattles timber! Raina gone for 1 and Chennai are stuttering after a great start.
Rayudu walks in...
After 11 overs, CSK 103/1 - 100 up for Chennai, but breakthrough for Delhi
Faf has a strike rate of 156 after scoring 30 in T20s since 2015, apparently. He gets there with a mishit off a full toss from Vijay Shankar, deemed high enough to be a no-ball. (Watson can get the free-hit away, finds long-off) Faf’s strike rate has hovered around 100 throughout this innings and the pressure to release the shackles gets to him, as he holes out to long off. Gone for 33 off 33 balls.
Vijay Shankar with the wicket that DD desperately wanted.
Raina walks in - first ball, short ball of course.
After 10 overs, CSK 96/0
Amit Mishra continues to escape Watson’s wrath. Another five-run over, as both batsmen treat the senior leggie with respect.
Chennai scored 91 after 10 in the previous match, they have 96 today. Second half troubles today?
After 9 overs, CSK 91/0 - FIFTY FOR WATSON
Watto on song! He has decided to deal in sixes today. This is ridiculously clean hitting. Tewatia comes on for spin from both ends and Watson smokes him for two more sixes. Gets to the half century with a slog sweep over midwicket and celebrates the landmark with another sweep, this one much straighter.
After 8 overs, CSK 76/0:
DD need to put the brakes on Chennai’s scoring and they bring on Amit Mishra. The wily old IPL specialist bowls a good over, concedes just 5 runs (an extra thanks to an overthrow from a direct off the last ball - no fault of the bowler, really). Watson, understandably, takes it easy in the first over after the timeout as Mishra ji gives the ball flight and turn.
After 7 overs, CSK 71/0:
Oh, Watson is on fire now! TWO MORE SIXES off Plunkett. The English pacer has been taken apart in his first two overs. First, is an elegant lofted off-drive that lands on the sightscreen. Next, a glance over fine leg. Bad lengths, Liam.
Time to catch a breather.
Watson 45 off 21
du Plessis 25 off 41
End of powerplay - CSK 56/0 after 6 overs
Another big over to bring an end to a productive powerplay for Chennai. Watson gets his third six, this time Avesh Khan the bowler. This is a ludicrous shot really. Short ball, Watson pulls off the front foot, looking to clear midwicket, but this goes straight up - and all the way! Power. So much power.
Interesting powerplay for Chennai:
First 2 overs: 7 runs
Next 4 overs: 49 runs
After 5 overs, CSK 45/0 - MASSIVE OVER FOR CHENNAI
Oh, Watto! Makes six-hitting look easy when he gets going. Back-to-back maximums off Plunkett’s first, over midwicket by the Aussie, one pulled and one flicked off his front foot. And Faf finishes the over off with a pre-meditated scoop over short fine leg. Liam Plunkett, welcome to Pune.
After 4 overs, CSK 25/0:
The scoring rate crosses 6 RPO. Tewatia, the legspinner, replaces Avesh Khan after just one over. Nine runs from the over, thanks to a good-looking boundary from Faf as he gives himself room and lofts over cover off his backfoot.
After 3 overs, CSK 16/0:
Chennai get a move on. Two boundaries off Boult’s second over. Faf with the first, edging one to the left of third man. Watson, then, is in more control as he cuts one between short-third and point. The Australian though misses out two full tosses from Boult from around the wicket - trying to muscle the leather out of the ball.
After 2 overs, CSK 7/0
Avesh Khan (one of the over-expressive pacers who has been reprimanded this IPL for aggressive send-offs) bowls a good first over. Just one run conceded, off the last ball as Faf just avoids playing out a maiden over in the powerplay. The South African skipper is throwing his bat at pretty much everything but keeps finding the fielders.
After 1 over, CSK 6/0
HUGGEEE appeal to start the proceedings as Boult brings one back into Watson from good length. Given not out, Shreyas asks for a review. One of those ‘was it bat first or pad first’ scenarios, 3rd umpire decides it’s bat first. DD lose their review of the very first ball but that was out if the umpire didn’t think there was bat involved. CLOSE! Watson flicks one for four through midwicket, to rub salt into DD’s wounds.
07:59 pm: Alright then, time for action. CSK keep springing the surprises tonight. The man who has been in such great form this IPL, Ambati Rayudu, is not opening. Faf du Plessis has walked out with Shane Watson.
Boult comes steaming in...
07:57 pm: One of the two debutants for CSK tonight... good luck to the pacer.
07:55 pm: Reminder of the head-to-head between these two sides...
Overall: Matches – 16, Chennai Super Kings won – 11, Delhi Daredevils won – 5
07:50 pm: Keep an eye out for these match-ups...
07:45 pm: Four changes from CSK (some forced and some based on the conditions) could be explained by this quote from Fleming after CSK lost by eight wickets to Mumbai Indians on Saturday night:
“We are going to be careful that we don’t get carried away by the loss. The biggest thing for us is to get to know the pitch here, it is not Chennai. We picked the side which was going to be Chennai-based so we are learning as much as anyone. We have to work extra hard to get home advantage. We have learnt a little bit again today and we have only got a day to make sure we try and get the right combination,”
07:35 pm: STOP THE PRESS, DHONI’S CSK HAVE MADE FOUR CHANGES!
Dhoni at the toss: “We have made many changes. Don’t ask me who all are not playing, I’ll tell you who are playing.”
Chennai XI: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, DJ Bravo, Ravi Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, KM Asif (DEBUT), Lungi Ngidi (DEBUT)
Delhi XI: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult
07:33 pm: Captains at the toss...
Shreyas Iyer: ‘Great performance in the last game, but this is a new game. Important that we put in a collective effort again.’
MS Dhoni: ‘We are not a great fielding side, so a few extra runs with the bat are crucial. We need some pace for this pitch.’
07:30 pm: Shreyas Iyer wins the toss and (surprise, surprise) opts to bowl first.
07:25 pm: Delhi Daredevils captain Shreyas Iyer credited the entire team for an emphatic 55-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
After being put in to bat by KKR, Delhi posted the highest total of the season so far – 219/4 – and then restricted the visitors to 164/9 in their run-chase.
Delhi made the perfect start as their new opening pair of Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro added 59 runs for the first wicket. Captain Iyer then joined the Shaw to add a further 68 runs in just seven overs.
After Shaw was dismissed, Iyer carried on and batted till the end, hitting three fours and 10 sixes, and finishing unbeaten on 93 from 40 balls. Delhi scored 79 runs in the final five overs, including 29 off the last six balls bowled by young Shivam Mavi.
Iyer, who took over as Delhi captain from Gautam Gambhir for the remainder of the season had said he was overjoyed to start with a win:
“It’s obviously a great feeling to end up on the winning side, especially when you’re leading for the first time. All of us contributed for this victory, it’s not only me, so kudos to everyone.”
07:20 pm: If Gautam Gambhir were still captain of Delhi Daredevils, we wonder if we would have seen something like this against MS Dhoni tonight... (Gambhir loved doing this to Dhoni early on his innings!)
07:15 pm: Head-to-head stats...
Matches – 16, Chennai Super Kings won – 11, Delhi Daredevils won – 5
07:10 pm: Some statistics for you from the match-up...
9 of the last 13 IPL matches played in Pune – dating back to 2016 – have been won by the team chasing.
Trent Boult has now picked up at least one wicket in each of his last 10 IPL matches.
CSK have lost the fewest wickets among all teams this season – 37. They have the highest overall scoring rate too – 9.54.
07:05 pm: Their stuttering campaign back on the rails under new skipper Shreyas Iyer, a resurgent Delhi Daredevils will play table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in a crucial Indian Premier League match in Pune on Monday.
While Delhi would fight for survival, CSK would be equally keen to get back to winning ways after losing by eight wickets to Mumbai Indians in their adopted home ground on Saturday night.
07:00 pm: Hello all and welcome to the live blog of Match #30 of IPL 2018. (Time flies this time of the year, doesn’t it?) It’s two “home” games in quick succession for CSK as Delhi Daredevils come to Pune on the back of a potentially season-changing win against KKR. Who comes out on top tonight? We shall find out.