Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in Dubai to go top of the IPL table with one game remaining in the group stage; Shimron Hetymer (28no from 18 balls) gets Delhi over the line in chase of 137; CSK stay second with both sides already qualified for the play-offs
Monday 4 October 2021 19:37, UK
Shimron Hetmyer played a crucial late knock to take Delhi Capitals to a three-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in a top-of-the-table Indian Premier League clash.
After Ambati Rayudu's unbeaten 55 from 43 balls had helped Chennai claw their way up to 136-5, Delhi appeared to be cruising to victory before a Shardul Thakur (2-13) inspired mini-collapse saw them slip to 99-6.
However, Hetmyer (28no from 18 balls) held his nerve and made the most of being dropped in 18th over to hit a timely six off Josh Hazlewood in the next and leave the Capitals needing just six from the last.
That was brought down to two from five balls after Dwayne Bravo lost control of a slower ball badly to give away two crucial runs and an extra ball and despite the West Indies all-rounder then having Axar Patel caught, Kagiso Radaba's boundary got Delhi over the line with two balls to spare.
Both sides have already qualified for the knockout stages but victory for Delhi sees them leapfrog CSK to lead the standings with one game left to play and lays down a marker ahead of a probable meeting in Qualifier 1.
Chennai made a flying start after being asked to bat first with 16 runs coming from the first over, albeit Ruturaj Gaikwad needed a review to overturn an lbw decision after being hit on the pad by Anrich Nortje.
Delhi were able to stem that early flow of runs in the third when Faf du Plessis (10) was well caught in the deep by Shreyas Iyer off Axar before Nortje returned to dismiss Gaikwad (13) in the fifth.
Axar (2-18) got his second when Moeen Ali (5) holed out and when Ravichandran Ashwin removed Robin Uthappa (19) in the next, CSK were in a hole at 62-4 approaching the halfway stage of the innings.
Rayudu and MS Dhoni used all their experience to calmly rebuild but a big finish was still required to post a competitive total.
Dhoni struggled to provide it, seemingly unable to call upon the same explosiveness that made him so feared in these situations in years gone by, but Rayudu had no such concerns as he launched the first six of the day in the 18th over and added another in the 19th as he reached his half-century from 40 balls.
Avesh Khan started an excellent final over with the wicket of Dhoni (18 from 27) and went on to concede just four from it, keeping Chennai to a below-par total.
The Delhi chase got off to a strong start thanks to Prithvi Shaw (18 from 12) but after hitting three boundaries, the young opener fell to Deepak Chahar in the third over.
Dhawan had begun brightly as well but really burst into life a couple of overs later, taking 20 from the first four balls of Chahar's set, bookending a pair of fours with sixes.
Hazlewood (1-27) accounted for Iyer (2) with the penultimate ball of the powerplay and after a brief, but typically eventful, cameo, Rishabh Pant (15 from 12) skied an attempted slog sweep off Ravindra Jadeja and Ali took the catch at cover.
At that stage, Delhi needed less than a run-a-ball and with Dhawan still at the crease, they were content to push the ones and twos and keep the rate hovering around that mark.
Even when Ripal Patel holed out to long on off Jadeja (2-28) at the end of the 13th, the Capitals appeared in control of the situation but that changed when Shardul Thakur returned to the attack to bowl the 15th.
The India seamer knocked over Ashwin (2) with the first ball and then thought he had Dhawan caught behind a couple of balls later, only for the opener to overturned the on-field decision on review.
Thakur had his man last ball though, Ali taking a very sharp catch after Dhawan hammered the ball into the covers, and suddenly Delhi were 99-6, still needing 38 from 30 balls.
With both Hetmyer and Axar new to the crease, Chennai were able to turn up the pressure on Delhi and as Bravo came on to bowl the 18th, they need 28 from 18 balls.
Hetmyer chose to go after his international team-mate but after thumping one four back over Bravo's head, he miscued his next big shot and the ball looped tamely to Krishnappa Gowtham at long on, only for the substitute fielder to spill the catch and let the ball trickle into the boundary cushion for four.
It proved costly for CSK as Hetmyer heaved Hazlewood over the legside midway through the next over and then kept strike with six needed from the last.
Bravo took two from the first ball as Delhi closed in but it was the next delivery that all-but sealed the win for the Capitals as Bravo lost control of a back-of-the-hand slower ball to the extent that it landed off the cut strip, a single was taken and despite Delhi's frustration and bemusement that wides rather than a no-ball and a free hit were given, the game seemed to be up for Chennai.
Axar proceeded to swing and miss at one but thumping the next ball to Ali at cover to make it that much more nervy for Delhi but Rabada was able to flick the fourth ball of the over down to fine leg for four to finish the job and guarantee the Capitals a top-two finish.
Watch Rajasthan Royals take on Mumbai Indians in a crucial match in the race for IPL play-offs from 2.50pm, Tuesday on Sky Sports Cricket.
