DC vs CSK Highlights, IPL 2024: MS Dhoni puts on a show in Vizag with 16-ball-37 but Rishabh Pant leads Delhi to first win

Rishabh Pant, DC Captain: Bowlers have been clinical today. We've learnt from our mistake. He's been working hard from last two weeks (Shaw). We thought it's time to give him a chance and he flourished. It will depend on match to match, but if Mukesh can bowl at the death it'll be great. As a cricketer I've to give my 100 percent. Took some time initially as I haven't played much cricket in the last 1.5 years. This is something I've depended my life on. Always had the self-belief that whatever happens, it's important to come back to the ground.

This is what they wait for, don't they? Every year when the IPL arrives, the millions and millions, who buy tickets to watch one man. Few have gotten an experience like this. 37 off a mere 16 deliveries, MS Dhoni really went all vintage tonight. And the crowd in Vizag, the city where he nailed his first-ever hundred for India - back in 2005 against Pakistan. And that last ball six....Mike Hussey had called it. 

MS Dhoni will be batting in the final over of Chennai Super Kings’ game against the Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam on Sunday and will end the game with a six. That was Chennai Super Kings’ batting coach Michael Hussey’s prediction for DC vs CSK before the IPL 2024 clash began.

At least one half of that prediction came true on Sunday with Dhoni walking into bat for the first time in the IPL 2024 season. (More here)

Anrich Nortje to bowl the last over. A boundary struck through the covers off the first ball but unfortunately for CSK, it's come too late. Next ball, oh dear! A full toss from Anrich Nortje and MS Dhoni has bludgeoned that one-handed for six over mid wicket. UNREAL! Rishabh Pant would've enjoyed that from the behind the stumps, something about Indian keepers nailing one-handed maximums. 

There's another slog down long on, this time for four. This has been a fine cameo from the former skipper, a positive on a night they haven't had many. He closes the innings with a six. The CSK faithfuls get what they want, they'll be chanting into the night. But the night belongs to Delhi. They close it with a 20-run win.

Take this in for we don't know how many more opportunities we have to do so. MS Dhoni on strike, the chants in the background. This is supposed to be a Delhi Capitals home game but then again, we've known this for some time now, wherever CSK play, it's their home game. It's what Ruturaj Gaikwad had said at the toss - "Definitely this is a home game for us." 

Back to the action now. 46 needed off the last 12 and CSK need this to be a big one. Mukesh Kumar though has been right on the money. Just two off his first four, three dots in a row. A brilliant stop from Rasikh Salam inside the circle as well to stop what was a sure shot boundary. In the end, there was none in the over. What a brilliant piece of bowling from Mukesh. 41 required off the last over.

Khaleel Ahmed with a chance at redemption. He'd dropped MS Dhoni in the last over. Can he remove him to all but hand DC two points, their first two points of the season. He's gone full and wide against the former CSK skipper off the first two attempts but conceded a couple of wides. Off the third, closer to the stumps, there's a single. A single, a dot, a single and a wide follow. And then, a wide-full delivery with that same angle Khaleel was eyeing earlier, and this time, Dhoni gets under it and slashes it over covers for six. A dot ball to close the over. 146/6 after 18, CSK need 46 off the last 12.

Mukesh Kumar into his second over, and there's a third wicket!

Shivam Dube, with the run rate pressure mounting on top, miscues one to long off. Chennai are six down but would you just listen to that noise. In comes their main man.

MS Dhoni connects the first ball, a pull shot, down deep square leg for four and Vizag is bouncing hard. What a start to his innings, is this going to be one of his magical ones?

It almost wasn't but Khaleel Ahmed drops him. That could've been it for Delhi. Jadeja gets an edge down short third for four and then, Dhoni closes the over with a slash through covers for four. 134/6 after 17 overs.

Nortje into his third over. Another well controlled over from Delhi Capitals. Just the seven runs off it - six singles and a wide. CSK have lost the plot right from the beginning of this chase and have been playing catch up since. 120/5 after 16 overs.

Ishant Sharma into his third over. Jadeja makes room outside the leg stump to place one down the ground, beating mid off for four. Ishant though, makes a comeback with just five runs off the remaining five deliveries. 112/5 after 15 overs. CSK in desperate need of a finish. Is there a fairytale in the brewing?

Mukesh Kumar into his first over. And he strikes! A slower one and Rahane has a go at it, David Warner holds onto the ball. Delhi have a fourth wicket. CSK are still 90 runs short. In walks Sameer Rizvi. First ball to the right-hander, outside edge and Khaleel Ahmed at short third claims the catch. Mukesh Kumar is on a hattrick. Ravindra Jadeja is the new man in and he taps down the hattrick ball. 102/5 after 14 overs.

Anrich Nortje returns for a second spell. Goes full and wide outside the off stump at 143 clicks, Shivam Dube has a whack at it, places over extra cover for four runs. 100 up for CSK. 91 required off the last seven overs.

Mitchell Marsh introduced into the attack, replaces Rasikh Dar Salam. Ajinkya Rahane goes after the Aussie. Couple of boundaries in a row. First an attempted upper cut off a short ball that catches a top edge, which runs over the fielders inside the circle down third man for four. Then, a superbly timed pull shot off a back of a length delivery, runs through square leg for the same result. 92/3 after 12 overs.

Axar Patel continues from the other end and just when CSK thought they had a shoe in this chase, the left-arm orthodox removes Daryl Mitchell. It's the extra bounce that surprised the Kiwi, who hit it straight back to the bowler. After 11 overs, CSK are 78/3. 114 needed off the last nine overs.

Rasikh Dar Salam into his second over and the CSK batters measure him for a couple of sixes each. Ajinkya Rahane with a lovely pick up shot over fine leg. Daryl Mitchell gets one over long on. Good over for CSK, 17 come from it. 75/2 after 10 overs.

Axar Patel into his second over. Daryl Mitchell finally gets one right from the middle of his bat. Generally known for using his long levers against spinners, he advances down the track on this particular occasion and tonks it straight down the ground for six. Fifty up for CSK. 58/2 after nine overs.

Rasikh Dar Salam into the attack. The 23-year-old pacer from Jammu. Rahane gives him a hard lesson off a length ball directed at the middle and off stump, flicked down backward square leg for four. But the comeback from the youngster is heartening to watch. Even beats Daryl Mitchell with a length ball nipping back into the right hander. 47/2 after eight overs.

Axar Patel handed the ball at the other side of the powerplay. Hold off the boundaries from your end would've been the word, as it so often is to him in this format, especially in this team. And he's started off well. Six runs from that seventh over. CSK are still behind on the required rate. 38/2 after seven overs.

Anrich Nortje comes into play in the final over of field restrictions. And Ajinkya Rahane fashions the first six of CSK's innings using the pace from the Proteas pacer. A length ball on the pads, flicked on the on side with ease. Held his shape right through the connection, and oh, he even held the pose afterwards for the cameras. That was more than 148 clicks on the speedometer and the CSK number three got right on top of it. End of the powerplay, CSK are 32/2.

Rishabh Pant has tasted early blood and wants to give Khaleel another go in the powerplay. A slip and a gully in position and Daryl Mitchell draws an edge but it runs away in between the two fielders behind the stumps for four. The left-armer beats the Kiwi on the outside edge off the next ball again. A fine over overall from Delhi's new ball bowler. 23/2 after five overs.

CSK have been looking for that first boundary fo some time now and it finally comes from Ishant Sharma's second over. A pair of them, infact, one after another. First, a pull from Rahane in front of square for four. Then, an even stylish cut shot through the off side to finish the over. Just what CSK needed. 17/2 after four overs.

Unlike his first two outings, Rachin Ravindra has been unable to time the ball tonight. And his 12 ball stay in the middle comes to an end off a miscued shot, nabbed by Tristan Stubbs. It's a short of a length delivery from Khaleel that does the trick. Delhi have two wickets in the powerplay. 7/2 after three overs.

‘Sight for sore eyes for sure’

Pant got to his 50 off just 31 balls. Just before he got dismissed, Pant had entertained the crowd at Visakhapatnam by hitting three consecutive balls from Matheesha Pathirana to the fence. (More on it here)

Ishant Sharma, who'd missed the last game after being pulled out owing to an injury he picked in Delhi's opener against Punjab, runs in to bowl from the other end. Rachin Ravindra looks to slash him but misses. Ajinkya Rahane is unable to execute a cut shot. 6/1 after two overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra walk in to get CSK's chase underway. Khaleel Ahmed, who was brilliant against Rajasthan the other night, gets rid of the CSK skipper. A lovely inswinger that catches the faintest of inside edges and Rishabh Pant completes the catch. 3/1 after the first over.

Mustafizur to Abhishek Porel. Starts off with a dot. Wide and full that's how he likes to go in the death. He does it again, but this time, Porel stabs it down short third with a final second opening of the face of the blade for four. There's a wide that follows. And, a no-ball. This is turning out to be an expensive finish. A relatively good finish though from the Bangladeshi quick, with only five runs coming off his last four balls. 191/5, reads the scoreboard at the end of Delhi's 20 overs. Will they be satisfied? Depends what stage of the game you take into consideration. After nine overs, they were 91/0. After 17, 148/4. 

Pant is in the mood today. Pathirana pitches one in the slot and Pant flicks it in front of the wicket, down wide long on for six. Next ball, he flat bats it to the right of the fielder at long on for four. And he gets that fifty with a slice down backward point. This would mean so much to him, and his fans. 

And he departs looking for another boundary, a fine take from Ruturaj Gaikwad. A round of applause around the ground. Pathirana will have to make do with 2/31 on a night he could've wrapped things up on an even economical note had it not been for a Pant special. 179/5 after 19 overs.

The purple cap holder, Mustafizur Rahman into his third over. Pant swivel pulls him for a much-needed boundary off the second ball. But that isn't the shot of the over. A length ball, directed at the batter, is flicked off one hand and dispatched over the square leg fence. That was vintage Pant. 14 off the over. 162/4 after 18 overs.

Delhi were 91/0 after nine overs. The innings since, barring the odd boundary here and there, has tappered off. Can Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel close it on a high. Pathirana returns for another over, he has another left beyond this. And boy, what a difference he's made today. Starting from that banger of a catch of David Warner at short third to the two clean up acts he's followed with the ball. Five runs come off his latest. 148/4 after 17 overs.

Tushar Deshpande to close his spell. If Pathirana was nailing those yorkers in the previous overs, Deshpande has sustained in the game with good length deliveries - mixing the pace right from his first over in the powerplay. The only instance he goes full is his last ball of his four overs quota. An attempted yorker that ends up being a low full toss and Rishabh Pant drives it for four. 143/4 after 16 overs.

Ball 3: Matheesha Pathirana gets clobbered through the leg side for four by Mitchell Marsh. 144 KPH, but it was back of a length and Marsh isn't missing out on that length.

Ball 4: Pathirana notches it up to 150KPH and goes full and yorks Marsh clean. Makes a mess of those stumps. Delhi lose a third wicket.

Ball 6: Tristan Stubbs is at the end of another quick and fiery yorker and guess what, the umpire has to walk in to rearrange those stumps again. Two big wickets in one over. Much needed for CSK. 134/4 after 15 overs.

Mitchell Marsh had looked in fine touch early in the chase against Rajasthan this week and he's looked the same coming in at four today. Chahar goes back of a length and Australia's newly appointed T20 skipper stabs him with a pull shot for six. 129/2 after 14 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja into his third over. Goes round the wicket to the left-hander and Rishabh Pant picks out a slog sweep from his arsenal. That one was bowled too close to the batter. 10 from the over. Jadeja has been expensive today, 43 off his three. 121/2 after 13 overs.

Sandip G: David Warner didn’t quite middle the reverse scoop off Mustafizur Rahman. But he seemed to have found ample wood to evade the fielder at short fine-leg, Matheesha Pathirana. The Sri Lanka seamer reacted a fraction late, and the ball seamed floating over his head. Then he stretched his lithe frame, at full pelt, but frictionless to clasp the catch with his right hand, fully airborne. The landing was smooth and graceful, without any jarring or crash-landing of the elbow. Pathirana, usually reticent, leapt in joy. Warner, bemused, shook his head in disbelief. It was not the catch that might have stunned him, but the sheer effortlessness of it. After a torrid start, CSK needed a surge of inspiration and how Pathirana provided that.

Deshpande into his third over. Two new batters in the middle for Delhi. Mitchell Marsh and Rishabh Pant have quite the follow up act to deliver after that opening wicket partnership. Delhi have started well but can they close this? It's what has been missing from their campaign so far.

Marsh gets his first boundary; a calmly executed lofted shot on the off side for four. 111/2 after 12 overs.

Tushar Bhaduri: That Prithvi Shaw was retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of the auction was a surprise in the eyes of many. That he was not even part of the match squads for their first two games was a bigger one. Injuries to a few facilitated his comeback to the opener's slot and some tight overs at the start did rein him in. It was only when he threw the kitchen sink at a wide delivery from fellow Mumbaikar Tushar Deshpande that Shaw really get a move on. Even so, it was David Warner who had to do most of the early heavy lifting. It was when he had the good fortune of facing a Mustafizur Rahman free hit that Shaw got a move on. A near-yorker on leg-stump was expertly flicked past short fine-leg, a length ball next up went in the same direction, but the third four in a row was the best – an back-foot punch through covers. When he slog-swept Ravindra Jadeja over long-on, Shaw was finally playing his part in the opening stand.  The youngster has had a chequered time in the recent past, some of it of his own making, and any contribution is a welcome development.

Jadeja into his second from the other end. Shaw fashions a slog sweep for six. Then looks to size the left-armer through the off side, a roll of the wrists to manufacture a cut shot but it's come to quick and he's missed the trajectory altogether. MS Dhoni does the rest. Those hands seldom miss, and he makes it look so easy. Shaw departs for 43 off 27, both the Delhi openers are back in the hut. 104/2 after 11 overs.

Fizz into his second over. David Warner goes for a reverse ramp but Matheesha Pathirana takes a stunning one handed catch at short third. The way Warner was going, it's the only way he could've been halted. MS Dhoni takes a moment to applaud the Sri Lankan, that was stunning and worth hanging in cricket's Louvre. Rishabh Pant is the new man in for Delhi. At the halfway stage, score reads 95/1.

It was only time, the way these two are going even an over without a boundary would bug them. David Warner gets down on his back foot and slogs one over wide long on for six. He moves to 49. Not the easiest conditions to bat out there, quick drinks break for the batters and Warner has some water splashed on his face to cut down on the heat/humidity. At the other side, he takes a single to complete his fifty, off 32 deliveries. 91/0 after nine overs.

Matheesha Pathirana replaces Mustafizur Rahman. The slinga has but one plan in mind: keep the ball away from Shaw, too wide or short for him to have any go at the ball. A couple of wides conceded in the attempt. A good over nonetheless, no boundaries conceded. Just the five runs for it. 80/0 after eight.

Ravindra Jadeja brought into the fray. And Shaw takes him to the cleaners off his first go. A clean slog over deep mid wicket for six. Then, Warner continues his onslaught. A pull behind square that just about beats the fielder at square leg. The Lions are being mauled in Vizag. 75/0 after seven overs. 

Mustafizur Rahman into the attack for the first time this evening. CSK haven't deployed a man at deep backward point, and they pay the price for it with a first ball boundary from David Warner. 

Prithvi Shaw also getting into the act with back to back flicks down fine leg for four. The Delhi dugout, especially head coach Ricky Ponting looking in some ease. Shaw makes it three in a row, with a cut in front of square on the off side for four. An expensive first over from Fizz and CSK are under the pump. 62/0 after six overs.

Just the over Warner was looking for. Unable to time the ball in previous attempts, the Australian finally gets into his usual act in the powerplay. A six and a couple of fours to gain the momentum. Even the slower ones are being dispatched now, all the way for six. Picks it behind square on the off side like it's nobody's business. 18 from the over. 42/0 after five.

Shaw finally gets a boundary. Enough width on offer from Deshpande and that's exactly what the 24-year-old needs to settle down, squeezes this one in between the point and short third region for four. The CSK new ball bowlers deploying the slower ones from the powerplay, mixing things up as Warner-Shaw look to switch gears. 24/0 after four overs.

David Warner takes the aerial route for the first time tonight. Chahar goes length and Warner stoops low to pick this one from outside off and clear the backward square leg fence by a fair distance. These are good signs for Delhi. He'd played the lone ranger the other night in Jaipur. But if Shaw can hold onto his end alongside the Aussie, Delhi can set up a really good total here. 19/0 after three overs.

Tushar Despande to bowl from the other end. And he finds an outside off the very first ball but it doesn't carry to the first slip. That's the second time Shaw has edged one but survived in this innings already. Early bit of luck for the Delhi opener who is under pressure to perform, as is his side, looking for their first win this season. A good over to start his quota by Deshpande, just the three runs off it. 10/0 after two.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: At the toss in Vizag, Ruturaj Gaikwad was greeted with huge cheers. He smiled and said, "it's definitely a home game for us." Rishabh Pant had to channel some of Pat Cummins' ideas as he hoped they can do well enough to turn things around in the stands. DC are playing their first couple of home games in Vizag of course, and Vizag is much closer to Chennai. But amid all the yellow, there was a banner that stood out. In what seems to be a stand filled with Chennai fans, a poster read: "You will never walk alone," with Pant's photo. It was it was a Delhi Capitals fans initiative. A fine touch.Photo: Sportzpics / BCCI

And straightaway there's movement on offer. Shaw is lured into an off side drive and gets a thick outside edge off the attempt but ends up safe. Warner is also beaten on the outside edge. It's a rare achilees heel in his arsenal early in the innings. Chahar making most of the angle against the southpaw from over the wicket. But as he goes full outside off, Warner fashions a drive through covers for four. First boundary of the game. 7/0 after the first over.

Right then. Prithvi Shaw starts and Delhi have changed their opening combination to slot in the 24-year-old. Making way is Mitchell Marsh as Shaw opens with David Warner. Lot to prove on his part, can he do it against the team that's yet to be beaten this season? 

Deepak Chahar with the new ball. Ruturaj Gaikwad had said confidently at the toss, "Definitely, it's a home game for us." They let us know of their allegiance at the very sight of the stadium in Vizag. It's all yellow. 

Chennai Super Kings: Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur, Shaik Rasheed, Moeen Ali, Mitchell Santner

Delhi Capitals: Sumit Kumar, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar Salam, Praveen Dubey, Jake Fraser-McGurk

“I think we are going to see the real Prithvi Shaw this season,” Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had placed his bets on their opener ahead of the last season. What followed was anything but. The prodigious talent was only able to muster 106 runs off eight innings and was dropped midway through what was a nightmarish season for Delhi Capitals. It's been the story of his career so far. Touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket since his Mumbai school cricket days, Shaw hasn't found a place in Indian squad for more than a year now. Can he turn the tide around this season? 

Shane Watson gave his opinion on the 24-year-old: Ricky saying that Prithvi Shaw has been looking good in the nets, he always does. I've been with the Delhi Capitals for the past two seasons and he's always looked good, given his immense skill. For me it's not that. It comes down to his attitude. If he has the fire burning inside him strongly. If he does, he can be one of the best batters in the world because of his skill.

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman

Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK captain: First game here, not too much information on this pitch. Let's see how it goes. The plan remains the same, keep things simple and try to win those individual moments, individual battles. No changes for us, going with the same squad.

Rishabh Pant, DC captain: We'll bat first. Wicket looks good, we want to use it as a batting track, put runs on the board. I think it makes a lot of difference, but we practiced here. We came here and got 10 days at this wicket. Two changes - Kuldeep had a niggle, Prithvi Shaw comes in. Ricky Bhui is out, Ishant Sharma comes in. We just have to play good cricket.

Rishabh Pant wins the toss, Delhi elect to bat first in Vizag.

From Darren Ganga and Rohan Gavaskar: The climatic conditions look really good for a game of cricket. Nice gentle breeze blowing across the ground and we are playing on pitch number 4, which is bang in the middle. 62m either side of the wicket, and 71m down the ground. There is an even covering of grass on the pitch, the root structure looks good which keeps the soil together, so don’t expect a lot of turn. This pitch seems to be very good for batting. Average first innings score in previous games has been 157, but that was 2019 and before so that is a bit outdated. I think the average first innings score now should be around 175-180. Bowlers need to choose the right options - the early trend has been to be back of a length with pace on and pace off, and don’t forget your cutters. It seems like a bat first wicket.

In Ahmedabad, David Miller wraps a Gujarat win with a six. A seven wicket trumping of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have now lost two of their first three games. For last year's runner ups, it's a second win three outings. (Highlights)

“The reason is WPL. We will be hosting a total of 11 matches in two weeks and with IPL starting from March 22 the first IPL match in Delhi was supposed to take place on March 24, so we don’t have enough time to prepare pitches. The BCCI has agreed to shift the first two matches and has also given us some breathing space,” a DDCA official had told The Indian Express. (Read more)

Ricky Ponting on Delhi's season so far: "We had a couple of chats about our cricket and the consensus out of those meetings is that we have played some really good and bad cricket. So, we need to find somewhere in the middle where we can play consistently good cricket over 40 overs."

Eric Simmons on Deepak Chahar: "He has made a bit of technical change which has made a big difference. One of the things we have seen is his bouncer becoming more effective... that just adds another weapon to your arsenal. I don't think he's swung it as much as he can; he's working on a few things to get the seam in a better position so his best is yet to come."

-Prithvi Shaw to replace Ricky Bhui

-A Moeen-Mitchell toss-up

DC XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Ricky Bhui/Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar.

CSK XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni(w), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mustafizur Rahman.