So, the experience trumped young blood as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on Friday.
This marked MS Dhoni & Co's 100th IPL win and enter the eighth final. They will take on Mumbai Indians for an unprecedented fourth title.
CSK dished out a disciplined bowling and fielding effort to first restrict DC to 147 for nine and then chased down the target with ease, reaching 151 or four in 19 overs.
Dwayne Bravo (2/19), Ravindra Jadeja (2/23), Deepak Chahar (2/28) and Harbhajan Singh (2/31) shared eight wickets between them to keep DC in check after opting to bowl.
CSK and MI have met each other thrice in summit clashes of the tournament earlier with MI finishing on the winning side twice while the Chennai outfit came out triumphant once.
While CSK won the final battle in 2010, MI finished on the victorious side in 2013 and 2015.
Man of the match: Faf du Plessis
Brief Scores:
Delhi Capitals: 147 for nine in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 38; Dwayne Bravo 2/19, Ravindra Jadeja 2/23, Deepak Chahar 2/28, Harbhajan Singh 2/31).
Chennai Super Kings: 151 for four in 19 overs (Faf du Plessis 50, Shane Watson 50; Trent Boult 1/20).
Playing XIs:
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Munro, Axar Patel, Sherfane Rutherford, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Trent Boult, Ishant Sharma
11:01 PM IST: Ishant Sharma on with his final over and gets the wicket of MS Dhoni, but that's too little too late. Dwayne Bravo hits the winning runs, a four to fine leg boundary. CSK win six wickets with six balls to spare.
10:56 PM IST: Keemo Paul on with his third over, and he continues to leak runs. Nine runs from the over, with Ambati Rayudu hitting the second and fifth balls for fours. CSK-144/3 after 18 overs. They need four from 12.
10:52 PM IST: Trent Boult completes his spell. Eight runs from the last over, including a four off the third ball, hit by MS Dhoni to fine leg. CSK-135/3 after 17 overs. They need 13 from 18.
10:45 PM IST: Axar Patel bowls Suresh Raina. FoW-127/3 (15.6 Over). Eight runs from the over. Axar's figures: 1/32. CSK need 21 runs from 24. MS Dhoni is the new man. And time out.
10:42 PM IST: Amit Mishra completes his spell. Four singles from his final over. CSK-119/2 after 15 overs. 29 runs required from 30 balls.
10:39 PM IST: Another good over for Delhi. Just fours singles from Axar Patel's third over. CSK-115/2 after 14 overs.
10:36 PM IST: Amit Mishra returns for his third over. Three runs and a wicket, that of Shane Watson. Caught at long-off by Trent Boult. Watson made 50 off 32. CSK-111/2 after 13 overs. Ambati Rayudu is the new man,
10:32 PM IST: Shane Watson destroys Keemo Paul. Three sixes and a four for the West Indian's second over. 25 runs. Watson reaches his fifty with a six off the last ball, in 31 balls. CSK-108/1 after 12 overs. 40 runs required from 48 balls.
10:26 PM IST: Finally a wicket for Delhi. Trent Boult had Faf du Plessis caught at deep square leg by Keemo Paul. FoW-81/1 (10.2 Over). Just two runs from the over. CSK-83/1 after 11 overs. They need 65 from 54 balls.
10:20 PM IST: Axar Patel on with his second over. Nine runs from the over. Faf du Plessis takes a single off the third over to complete his fifty, then Shane Watson hits the fifth for a six. CSK-81/0 after 10 overs. They need 67 runs from 60 balls.
10:17 PM IST: Amit Mishra fails to control the flow of runs. Eight runs from his second over, including a four off the first ball, hit by Shane Watson. CSK-72/0 after nine overs.
10:12 PM IST: 16 runs from Keemo Paul's first over. All over the place, and there was one delivery which doesn't even land on the pitch. Faf du Plessis hits the last ball for a four to race to 47 of 32. CSK-64/0 after eight overs.
10:06 PM IST: Amit Mishra on with his first over. Very good start, two singles off the fourth and fifth balls, then Faf du Plessis hits the last ball for a four. Six runs from the over. CSK-48/0 after seven overs.
10:01 PM IST: Another big over for CSK. Faf du Plessis hits the first three balls for fours as Ishant Sharma seems to lost the plot. 15 runs from the over. CSK-42/0 after six overs. They need another 106 runs from 84 balls. Time out.
9:55 PM IST: Axar Patel on with his first over. Faf du Plessis hits the second and third balls for a four and six. 11 runs from the over. CSK-27/0 after five overs.
9:51 PM IST: Three runs from Ishant Sharma's second over. CSK-16/0 after four overs. They need 132 runs.
9:46 PM IST: Nine runs from Trent Boult's second over, including a four off the third ball, hit by Faf du Plessis. CSK-13/0 after three overs.
9:41 PM IST: Ishant Sharma on with the second over. Just three singles, off the last three balls. CSK-4/0 after two overs. They need 144 runs.
9:35 PM IST: Trent Boult starts the proceedings in the second innings. What an over. Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson involve in a huge mixed-up. One run from the over.
9:17 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja on with the last over. A dot to Trent Boult, then a six over long on. Then the end of Boult, bowled. Ishant Sharma is the new man. A dot then, Ishant gets his first runs of the season, with a four, beating Faf du Plessis at long-off, then a six to end the innings, over long-on. 16 runs from the over. They have a history though. DC-147/9.
9:13 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on his last over, again another wicket off the fourth ball. This time the big one. Rishabh Pant holes out at long-on, caught by Dwayne Bravo. FoW-125/8 (18.4 Over). Then, Faf du Plessis puts his body on the line to save a certain six. But Amit Mishra is not the be disheartened by it. He plays a sumptuous paddle sweep to hit a four to fine leg. 12 runs from the over. Chahar's figures: 2/28. DC-131/8 after 19 overs. Trent Boult is the new man.
9:06 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his last over. And for the third over in succession, CSK have taken wickets off the penultimate ball or the fourth. Bravo cleans up Keemo Paul with a beauty. FoW-119/7 (17.5 Over). Amit Mishra is the new man. Three runs from the over. Bravo's figures: 2/19. DC-119/7 after 18 overs.
8:58 PM IST: Imran Tahir on with his final over. 14 runs from it. Most expensive over in this innings. Rishabh Pants hits the third ball for a four, to deep mid-wicket. Then a six, gifted by Deepak Chahar, who makes a mess of the catch at long. Tahir's celebration fails to take off, and MS Dhoni is furious. DC-116/6 after 17 overs.
8:53 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his last over. Sherfane Rutherford hits the second ball for a six, over cover. Then the veteran spinner gets his man. Caught at short third man by Shane Watson. FoW-102/6 (15.5 Over). Keemo Paul is the new man. Nine runs from the over. DC-102/6 after 16 overs. Harbhajan's figures: 2/31. Time for Rishabh Pant to start attacking?
8:45 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his third over. Eight runs from the over, seven singles and a no ball. DC-93/5 after 15 overs. Time out.
8:39 PM IST: Imran Tahir on with his third over. And MS Dhoni gets one DRS wrong, beaten by Tahir's bounce. Sherfane Rutherford gets beaten and the ball hits the pad and goes for leg four byes. Four dots to end the over. Five runs from it. DC-85/5 after 14 overs.
8:34 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo gets his first scalp. Two dots to Axar Patel, then two singles, then the wicket. Patel guides the bouncer from Bravo to third man. Imran Takes a very good catch. FoW-80/5 (12.5 Over). Patel made three off six balls. Sherfane Rutherford is the new man. Two runs from the over. DC-80/5 after 13 overs.
8:27 PM IST: What a poor choice of shot from Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer. Going for a slog, ends up getting a top-edge, and Suresh Raina takes an easy catch at square leg. Iyer failed to read the googly. FoW-75/4 (11.3 Over). Iyer made 13 off 18. Axar Patel is the new man. Four singles from the over. DC-78/4 after 12 overs.
8:23 PM IST: Very unusual ploy from MS Dhoni to introduce Dwayne Bravo this early. Shreyas Iyer hits the third ball for a four, through cover. Six runs from the over. DC-74/3 after 11 overs.
8:19 PM IST: Five runs from the previous over. Imran Tahir on and soon faces off with Rishabh Pant, the new man. Pant hits the fourth ball for a four. Nine runs from the over. DC-68/3 after 10 overs.
8:12 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja had dangerous-looking Colin Munro caught at deep by Dwayne Bravo. FoW-57/3 (8.5 Over). Munro made 27 off 24 balls. Time out.
8:09 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his third over. Very good start to the over, just two singles from the first balls. Then, Colin Munro hits the fourth and fifth balls for fours, both through cover. A dot to end the over. 10 runs from the over. DC-54/2 after eight overs.
8:05 PM IST: Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja gets his first over. And very quickly goes through it. Three singles. DC-44/2 after seven overs.
8:02 PM IST: Shreyas Iyer is the new man. Five runs from the over. DC-41/2 after the end of Power Play.
8:00 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his second over. A single to Colin Munro then the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan. MS Dhoni quickly recovers to complete the catch behind the wicket. FoW-37/2 (5.2 Overs). Dhawan made 18 off 14 balls.
7:58 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with his third over, on the trot. Very good over. Four singles from it. DC-36/1 after five overs.
7:52 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his first over. Colin Munro hits the third over for a four. Seven runs from the over. DC-32/1 after four overs.
7:48 PM IST: Deepak Chahar continues with his second over. A dot to Shikhar Dhawan, then the left-handed opener plays the second ball to deep point for a single. Prithvi Shaw tries to play a pull shot and huge shout. MS Dhoni goes for the review. The ball hits on the inner thigh, and it looks dead. And it is. FoW-21/1 (2.3 Over). Colin Munro is the new man and he hits the fifth ball for a four. Five runs from the over. DC-25/1 after three overs.
7:41 PM IST: Shardul Thakur is on with the second over. Two dots to Shikhar Dhawan, then back-to-back fours from the let-handed opener, to mid-off and a straight one. Then another four, this time through square leg. 13 runs from the over. DC-20/0 after two overs.
7:36 PM IST: Deepak Chahar on with the first over and he mischievously stops on the delivery stride with Shikhar Dhawan backing up. A wide, then Prithvi Shaw hits the first legal delivery to cover. He plays the next ball uppishly, another dot. Again, in the same area, for another dot. But the sound of his bat hitting the ball is crackling. A single off the fourth ball to cover, again. Shikhar Dhawan also drags on, a single. Bit short and Shaw pulls the last ball for a four. Seven runs from the over.
7:02 PM IST: Chennai Super Kings have won the toss and have opted to field against unchanged Delhi, no Chris Morris. Shardul Thakur on for Murali Vijay.
On a similar vein, look out for Rishabh Pant vs Dwayne Bravo clash.
5:38 PM IST: Predicted XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Colin Ingram, Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Keemo Paul, Amit Mishra, Trent Boult, Ishant Sharma
5:30 PM IST: Form Guide (Latest First)
Chennai Super Kings lost to Mumbai Indians by six wickets, Lost to Kings XI Punjab by six wickets, beat Delhi Capitals by 80 runs.
Delhi Capitals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by two wickets, beat Rajasthan Royals by five wickets, lost to Chennai Super Kings by 80 runs
4:22 PM IST: this fixture is heavily loaded in favour of CSK. They have won both the league matches. And the overall head-to-head record is 14 to six in favour of CSK. DC will need every trick in their book to beat CSK tonight. One player who can make a difference is veteran spinner Amit Mishra. BTW, read this outlandishly presumptuous theory why DC will beat CSK tonight.
3:25 PM IST: Meanwhile, here's what MS Dhoni needs to do to become the most successful wicketkeeper in the IPL. Strange though that he's already not the one. That record belongs to Dinesh Karthik, his deputy in the upcoming World Cup.
2:40 PM IST: This will be a battle of two finishers, between a legend who has done it all and his heir apparent (forgive the cliche). The stage can't be any grander than this, one fighting to give his side the best possible parting gift, while another trying to prove his worth, especially after the World Cup snub.
So, what will MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant will do?
2:00 PM IST: For a right to compete in their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) final, Delhi Capitals (DC) will take on defending champions and the most consistent team in the world's most prestigious T20 cricket league Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Qualifier 2 of the 2019 season. The Shreyas Iyer-led young outfit has defied odds so far and now on the cusp of making history. But, they first need to beat MS Dhoni's serial winners CSK.
DC defeated last year's finalists SunRisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator at Visakhapatnam, while CSK suffered a hat-trick of defeats against Mumbai Indians this season to lose the Qualifier 1 at home.
Original squads:
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn.
Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant(wicketkeeper), Colin Ingram, Keemo Paul, Axar Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Ankush Bains, J Suchith, Manjot Kalra, Chris Morris, Sherfane Rutherford, Jalaj Saxena, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Nathu Singh, Bandaru Ayyappa, Colin Munro.
