VISAKHAPATNAM, May 10: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical performance to beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets and enter their eighth final of the Indian Premier League, here on Friday.
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 will play Mumbai Indians in the final of the ongoing IPL in Hyderabad on Sunday. The two teams 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.
Chasing the modest total, Faf du Plessis (50) and Shane Watson (50) got CSK off to a flier, stitching 81 runs in 10.2 overs. But just after notching up his 12th IPL fifty, Du Plessis departed while going for a big shot over deep square-leg off Trent Boult (1/20), only to be holed out by Keemo Paul.
After Du Plessis� dismissal, Watson took the centrestage and struck Paul for one four and three sixes to pile up 25 runs off the 12th over and also registered his half-century off 31 balls in the process. Watson looked in a hurry to finish off the chase and that eventually led to his downfall, caught by Boult off Amit Mishra (1/21) in the second ball of the next over.
Suresh Raina (11) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9) got out cheaply but Ambati Rayudu (2 not out) remained at the crease to ensure a comfortable win for the three-time champions.
Brief Scores
Delhi Capitals: 147 for 9 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 4 in 19 overs (Faf du Plessis 50, Shane Watson 50; Trent Boult 1/20). � PTI
