Dhoni grafts as Delhi Capitals hand CSK third defeat in a row

Mumbai:

It must have been discomforting for the Chennai Super Kings loyalists to watch MS Dhoni’s 30* (26b) and Vijay Shankar’s 69* (54b) slow unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership, which appeared almost perfunctory towards the end, against Delhi Capitals at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

Capitals notched up 183 after electing to bat and then left CSK 25 runs short at their home base in the day game, restricted to 158/5.

When CSK’s superhero arrived at the crease in the 11th over, the hosts needed 110 runs from 56 balls. Shankar was on 24, scoring at run-a-ball with half the side back in the pavilion.

It was a challenging ask on a slow surface, but no one in the stadium was willing to rule out Dhoni pulling off a heroic show from his old playbook, although it has not happened this season. It is for him that they reserve the loudest whistles, the deafening cheers. That’s how the legion of yellow welcomed Dhoni to the crease, yet again. It has been a recurring theme for the past three years with the knowledge that his IPL retirement may be near.

Dhoni, 43, has continued to defy age to match expectations for the past two years. On the evidence of his performances in the first four matches in IPL 2025 though it feels his limitless ambition is struggling to cope with the T20 hustle.

With Dhoni’s parents making a rare appearance at the Chepauk stadium, speculation was rife through the day on whether Dhoni would call it a day. “That’s not my role, to put an end to it (speculations),” Stephen Fleming, CSK head coach, said after the match.

DC were smart to use up more overs of spin from Kuldeep Yadav (4-0-30-1) and Vipraj Nigam (4-0-27-2) against Dhoni. The former captain didn’t even attempt to look for a boundary. Shankar at the other end, living a charmed life with four misses in the field from DC, was also struggling to find the rope.

CSK’s asking rate climbed to 18 runs per over in the final four overs. When the time out was called, batting coach Mike Hussey offered a few options for Shankar to exploit. Dhoni wasn’t even engaged in the conversation. Almost as if the man knew his big hitting days against bowling matchups who are at the top of their craft were past him. That he could only do so much.

It didn’t help that there was only R Ashwin and the tail to follow. It’s a limitation of CSK’s squad composition and choice of playing eleven that their batting looked dated and out of sorts.

Eventually, Shankar found a few boundaries. The Shankar-Dhoni partnership of 84* (57b) finished in a respectable shape, but never threatened the target. As Dhoni and Shankar played out the final over with 41 runs needed to win, many in the crowd were already leaving the turnstiles.

CSK began by making a batting change, replacing Rahul Tripathi with Devon Conway. The left-hander had previously made a formidable opening pair with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. But the Kiwi batter hasn’t been in good nick. And it showed. There was neither power nor timing in his 14-ball 13. Once Mitchell Starc got the better of the in-form Gaikwad, falling to an awkward pull for five, it was down to CSK’s spin-hitter Shivam Dube to capitalise in the middle overs. A couple of good hits is all Dube (18) could manage before he holed out against Nigam’s leg spin.

DC’s batting revolved around KL Rahul’s 77 (57b,6×4,3×6). Rahul was to bat in the middle overs when the season began and had even delivered a cameo in his first outing. Once opener Faf du Plessis was out injured, the ever-flexible Rahul was asked to slot back to the openers’ role.

Rahul brought out his first shot of intent to the fifth delivery he faced, picking a straight boundary off Mukesh Choudhary, a bowler he would go on to punish a lot. DC were 51/1 after the Powerplay. Importantly, the right-hander was able to take down CSK’s most dangerous spin weapon Noor Ahmad for several boundaries. The Afghan left-arm wrist spinner went for 12-an-over and bowled only three overs.

Some impressive show of intent from Rahul in the closing overs, with boundaries off a reverse scoop and a sweep on bent leg against Choudhary’s left-arm angle, and quick runs from Tristan Stubbs (24* – 12b) helped DC set up a target in excess of nine runs an over. It helped Delhi Capitals win comfortably against the five-time winners, begin their campaign with a bang, and three wins in a row. CSK have now suffered three consecutive losses in four matches, with a Dhoni speculation that refuses to die down.