DC vs CSK, an IPL fixture in which MS Dhoni is Mr ‘Man of the Match’

But that doesn’t stop us from taking a trip down memory lane and see why CSK captain MS Dhoni is a regular ‘Man of the Match’ in these fixtures. With four man of the match awards in the clashes over the years, the former Indian captain can’t be blamed for being fond of the fixture.

Head to Head

DC and CSK have faced each other in 24 matches, of which Delhi has won on just 6 occasions, while Chennai has won 15 games.

IPL 2008- Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings

(Chennai Super Kings 188/6 beat Delhi Daredevils 187/5 by four wickets.)

CSK won the match on the last ball of the match, and the choice of Dhoni as man of the match did raise eyebrows, including that of the Chennai captain. Chennai restricted the Daredevils to below 200 as Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan stitched a record third-wicket partnership of 121.

Chasing a tall total, S Vidyut took on Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif, giving Chennai the impetus they needed at the start. After Vidyut’s departure, Dhoni kept the scoreboard ticking and threatened to seal the deal, but a stunning catch from AB de Villiers ended his stand at the crease.

While Dhoni’s innings was a laboured 33 off 33 deliveries (with 3 fours), what worked in CSK’s favour was that their captain was involved in all the top partnerships. He scored 35 with Stephen Fleming, 40 with Albie Morkel and 28 with Kapugedera.

With 15 needed off six balls, Sehwag’s decision to give Shoaib Malik the last over proved to be a disaster.

After the match, Dhoni was asked to voice his thoughts on being adjudged as the Man of the Match. “Hmm… That was a bit strange but yeah who am I to question,” he said.

IPL 2011- Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils

(Chennai Super Kings 176/4 beat Delhi Daredevils 158/6 by 18 runs)

This match was a Dhoni masterclass. Dhoni came to bat at 67 for 3 in the 11th over, but took control of the game with a counterattack scoring 14 off five. There was power, and there was also cheek when he moved across and paddled fine of short fine leg. The real punishment was reserved for the last two overs, bowled by Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan. Dhoni hit two flat sixes off the last two balls of Pathan – both full tosses – to end the inning on a high.

In reply, DD tried hard but ended 18 runs short.

IPL 2013- Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils

(Chennai Super Kings 168/4 beat Delhi Daredevils 135/9 by 33 runs)

Delhi was outmuscled in this match largely thanks to Dhoni. As many as 550 sixes had already been hit in this season of the IPL, but Dhoni’s towering six off Siddarth Kaul in the 18th over not only cleared the rope, it nearly cleared the stadium itself, ending on the roof. Batting first, CSK lost their openers early and Dhoni scored only 17 off his first 19 deliveries. But he ran amok in the end to finish with 58 off 35 balls, helping CSK cross the 150-run mark.

“I try to keep myself blank when preparing,” Dhoni said after the game. “I try to visualise. The bus ride. I like the stadium at least 15-20 minutes from the hotel so I can visualise during the ride.”

IPL 2019- Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils

(Chennai Super Kings 179/4 beat Delhi Capitals 99 by 80 runs)

Batting first yet again Super Kings had a sluggish start, but came back to life in the death overs thanks to a Dhoni blitz at the end.

Before this edition, there were critics who had started to question MSD’s ability. But Dhoni proved he is ageless with a blistering 22-ball 44. In the second innings, he was lightning-quick with the gloves which resulted in the key dismissals of Shreyas Iyer and Chris Morris as Delhi Capitals were bundled out for just 99.