Raipur: An impressive bowling display from Delhi Dardevils earned them a six-wicket victory against league leaders Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium yesterday.
Chasing 120, Delhi reached the target fairly comfortably in 16.4 overs with 20 balls to spare.
The win was Delhi's fifth in what has been a disappointing campaign for them. They improved to 10 points after 13 matches but remained at the seventh spot in the standings. Chennai too retained their summit spot with 16 points from 13 matches.
Delhi floundered initially while chasing the modest target losing South African duo of Quinton de Kock (3) and skipper Jean Paul Duminy (6) in a space of 10 deliveries to be reduced to 24 for two in the fifth over.
But opener Shreyas Iyer (70 not out) and Yuvraj Sing (32) steadied the Daredevils innings, forging a 69-run third-wicket partnership to guide them towards the target.
By the time Yuvraj was dismissed in the 14th over, Delhi's score swelled to 93, virtually confirming a rare victory for them.
Earlier, a stupendous bowling effort from Delhi Daredevils ensured they restricted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a modest score of 119 for six.
Faf du Plesis top-scored for CSK with 29, with skipper M.S. Dhoni (27) being the other major contributor as the visitors set an asking run rate of 6 runs per over.
Zaheer Khan and Albie Morkel were the pick of the bowlers for the Daredevils claiming two scalps each.
The Daredevils opening bowlers, spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (4-1-18-0) and Zaheer (4-1-9-2) bowled an impeccable line and length in the first few overs and kept the CSK batsmen on a tight leash giving away just 16 runs in the first six overs, the lowest in this IPL.
Zaheer's patience was eventually rewarded as swashbuckling opener Brendon McCullum (11) fell lobbing one straight to Duminy at mid-on.
McCullum's opening partner Dwayne Smith (18) sent a few balls flying into the fence but then was adjudged leg-before wicket.
CSK added 30 more after the first six overs to be at 46 for three at the halfway stage as Suresh Raina (11) too spooned one to cover.
But South African middle order bat du Plesis and Dhoni then resurrected the innings running hard between the wickets and picking up the odd boundaries.
However, on a pitch that was keeping slow and low, Morne Morkel came back to castle his countryman, du Plesis (29) as he chopped one onto his stumps with score flashing 83 for four in 15.2 overs.
Dhoni then upped the ante belting Yuvraj Singh for 13 runs in the 17th over. Dwayne Bravo (8) hit another six to help his team get past the 100-run mark in the 18th over but was caught out a delivery later.
Zaheer in his first ball of the second spell got rid of the dangerous Dhoni (27) foxing him with a slower one that he skied into the hands of long-off.