IPL 2025, CSK vs DC, Hits & Flops: Chennai find themselves in a soup yet again while chasing

IPL 2025, CSK vs DC, Highlights: Chennai Super Kings’ batting falters once again in a chase as Delhi Capitals secure a win and move to the top of the points table. Top hits & flops from the game.

Brief Scores: DC – 183/6 (KL Rahul 77, Abhishek Porel 33, Khaleel Ahmed 2/25) beat CSK – 158/5 (Vijay Shankar 69, MS Dhoni 30, Vipraj Nigam 2/27) by 25 Runs 

Delhi Capitals (DC) played extraordinary cricket by dominating all three departments against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). A collective team effort and a special knock by KL Rahul earned them two crucial points. CSK, on the other hand, lost yet another match at their home ground. The last time Delhi won against Chennai at the M. Chidambaram Stadium in the IPL was back in 2010.

Hits from DC vs CSK game

KL Rahul’s exploits give DC total to defend
On an afternoon when the regular engines failed to perform, it was KL Rahul who kept the innings intact from one end like a steady ship. His magnificent half-century stirred DC to a decent total to fight for. The way he held his composure from the beginning and accelerated in the latter half is commendable.

Chepauk is a tricky surface to bat on, but Delhi had their main man—Rahul—who played all those technical shots to counter the Yellow Army’s bowling attack. Later, when the team needed to accelerate to reach a par score, it was him again who played those unorthodox shots to find the gaps. Hence, it was a 10/10 show of his composure and acceleration at Chepauk.

For him to continue this momentum, DC need to realise his calibre as a top-order batter. Considering his technique and maturity, he is a true asset to the team with the new ball. Sending him any lower than one-down is a waste of his talent.

Read More: CSK last successfully chased a 180+ total in IPL 2018; Where are they going wrong batting second?

Axar’s calmness and DC’s bowling unit shines through 
DC are topping the points chart, and a lot of credit goes to the skipper—Axar Patel. No matter what the situation is, it’s his calmness and clarity that have sorted things for Axar and Co. The way he guides youngsters, like he did today with Vipraj, is the recipe for his success as a leader. Moreover, the way he is using his bowlers is proving to be highly effective.

It wasn’t a one-man show when it came to DC defending 182 at Chepauk. It was a collective heist, as each and every bowler delivered as per the situation. Only Mohit Sharma and Axar Patel went wicketless today.

Flops from DC vs CSK game

CSK lack power in middle overs
For a successful chase, the first and foremost requirement is to efficiently capitalise on the powerplay and then accelerate in the middle overs. CSK couldn’t tick either of these boxes today, and hence, they lost the match by a considerable margin.

By the end of 6 overs, the home team was crawling at 46/3, while DC were at 51/1 at the same stage. Right from the start, it was DC that looked dominant. Then, in the middle overs, none of the batters—including Jadeja, Dube, and Ruturaj—showed hunger. Some repair work was done by Vijay Shankar, but his run-a-ball fifty is of no use if the team doesn’t grab the crucial two points.

Lastly, in the death overs, the run rate had already skyrocketed, and the set batters—Dhoni and Shankar—failed to achieve it.

Read More: IPL 2025, RR vs CSK, Hits & Flops: Nitish Rana’s 81 big difference, CSK’s batting major letdown

Conclusion
DC have won all three matches they’ve played. The team looks in good rhythm, with a new player standing up and winning games for the franchise each day. This reflects the positive environment in the dressing room. With such dominance, they might even break the jinx and lift the cup this year.

CSK, on the other hand, are underperforming, and the pressure on skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is just piling up. Maybe it’s time for head coach Stephen Fleming to rethink the strategies, as the older ones aren’t proving to be fruitful. 

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