IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals break 15-year Jinx, beat CSK by 25 runs; Dhoni shines

Delhi Capitals registered a memorable 25-run win over Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, snapping a 15-year losing streak at Chepauk. Despite a fighting, unbeaten 30-run knock from MS Dhoni, CSK fell short in their chase of 184, finishing at 158/5 in their 20 overs.

Delhi’s win was powered by KL Rahul’s fluent 77 off 48 balls, with brisk contributions from Abishek Porel (33) and a finishing touch by Axar Patel. Rahul, who was named Player of the Match, spoke about his adaptability: “I was prepping to open before the IPL, but was asked to bat at No. 4. It’s about adjusting mentally. Once you're in, it’s just bat vs ball.”

This marks Delhi Capitals’ third consecutive win in the season, keeping their momentum intact. CSK, on the other hand, have now lost back-to-back matches and appear to be struggling with both bat and ball, especially in the powerplay.

Chasing 184, CSK’s innings never quite took off. The top order collapsed early, and apart from Vijay Shankar’s gritty 69* off 54 balls, there was little resistance. Chennai managed just nine boundaries in total, a stat that highlighted their sluggish approach. Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted the team is struggling: “Since the last three games, things aren’t clicking. Powerplay has been a major concern for both batting and bowling.”

Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc, speaking after the game, praised Delhi’s adaptability: “We adjusted well to the conditions here. The red soil offered pace and helped our plan of defending the larger boundary side. Everyone executed the roles brilliantly.”

The crowd did get a glimpse of vintage Dhoni when he smashed a six late in the innings, but with 54 required off the last two overs, it was always a tough ask. The presence of Dhoni's family — wife Sakshi, daughter Ziva, and even his rarely-seen parents — made it a special evening emotionally, if not in terms of the result.

Delhi’s comprehensive win was underscored by a revealing stat: none of the CSK batters featured in the top five strike rates of the match. Every single spot was occupied by a Delhi batter, with Tristan Stubbs leading the chart at a strike rate of 200.

As things stand, Delhi Capitals are on a roll with 3 wins from 3, while Chennai Super Kings will have to go back to the drawing board and fix their early-innings woes before their next clash.