Delhi Capitals (DC) maintained their unbeaten start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with a 25-run victory over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
With the win, DC have climbed to the top of the points table, securing their first-ever victory in Chepauk since 2010.
KL Rahul starred with a blistering 77 runs as an opener, leading DC to a total of 183/6. His knock proved crucial after Faf du Plessis was ruled out due to injury. Despite a valiant effort from CSK’s Vijay Shankar, who made an unbeaten 69 off 54 balls, the hosts fell short, managing just 158/5 in their chase.
The chase started poorly for CSK as their batting power-play saw early wickets fall. Rachin Ravindra was dismissed cheaply, caught off Mukesh Kumar’s bowling for just three runs. Ruturaj Gaikwad was trapped by Mitchell Starc’s short ball for five, and Devon Conway fell to a sharp googly from Vipraj Nigam, leaving CSK at a precarious 46/3 at the end of the power-play.
DC continued to apply pressure as the pitch slowed down, with Shankar and Shivam Dube finding it difficult to score freely. Dube holed out to long-on off Nigam for 18, while Ravindra Jadeja was trapped lbw by Kuldeep Yadav for two.
Despite a couple of dropped catches and a missed run-out opportunity, Shankar fought back, breaking CSK’s 28-ball boundary drought with some crucial boundaries.
Shankar reached his fifty off 43 balls, and MS Dhoni hit a few big shots, ending not out on 30 from 26 balls. However, it was not enough to stop DC from registering their third consecutive win in the tournament, leaving CSK with their second straight home loss in IPL 2025.
For DC, Nigam was the standout bowler with figures of 2-27, while the rest of the bowlers, excluding Mohit Sharma and Axar Patel, contributed with a wicket each.
Despite CSK’s late fight, DC successfully defended their total, keeping their unbeaten record intact
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