Raipur: An impressive bowling display from Delhi Dardevils earned them a six-wicket victory against leaders Chennai Super Kings the Indian Premier League at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Tuesday.
Chasing 120, Delhi reached the target comfortably in 16.4 overs with 20 balls to spare.
The win was Delhi’s fifth in what has been a disappointing campaign for them. They improved to 10 points after 13 matches but remained in seventh spot in the standings. Chennai retained their summit spot with 16 points from 13 matches.
Delhi floundered initially while chasing the modest target, losing South African duo of Quinton de Kock (3) and skipper J.P. Duminy (6) in a space of 10 deliveries to be reduced to 24 for two in the fifth over.
But opener Shreyas Iyer (70 not out) and Yuvraj Sing (32) steadied the Daredevils innings, forging a 69-run third-wicket partnership to guide them towards the target.
By the time Yuvraj was dismissed in the 14th over, Delhi’s score swelled to 93, virtually confirming a rare victory for them.
Earlier, a stupendous bowling effort ensured Delhi restricted Chennai to just 119 for six.
Faf du Plessis top-scored for CSK with 29, with skipper M.S. Dhoni (27) being the other major contributor as the visitors set an asking rate of just six an over.
Zaheer Khan and Albie Morkel were the pick of the bowlers for the Daredevils, claiming two scalps each.
The Daredevils opening bowlers, spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (4-1-18-0) and Zaheer (4-1-9-2) bowled an impeccable line and length to keep the CSK batsmen on a tight leash, giving away just 16 runs in the first six overs, the lowest in this IPL.
Zaheer’s patience was eventually rewarded as swashbuckling opener Brendon McCullum fell for 11, lobbing one straight to Duminy at mid-on.
McCullum’s opening partner Dwayne Smith (18) sent a few balls flying to the fence but then was adjudged leg-before wicket.
CSK were 46 for three at the halfway stage with Suresh Raina (11) also spooning one to cover.
But South African Du Plessis and Dhoni then resurrected the innings, running hard between the wickets and picking up the odd boundary.
However, on a pitch that was slow and low, Morne Morkel came back to castle Du Plesis for 29 as he chopped one onto his stumps to leave the score at 83 for four in 15.2 overs.
Dhoni upped the ante, belting Yuvraj for 13 runs in the 17th over.
Dwayne Bravo (8) hit another six to help his team get past the 100-run mark in the 18th over but was caught a delivery later.
Zaheer, from the first ball of his second spell, got rid of the dangerous Dhoni (27), foxing him with a slower one that he skied into the hands of long-off.
