By IANS,
New Delhi : Chennai Super Kings struck 15 runs in the last over to score a thrilling four-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament here Thursday.
Chasing 188 runs, the Super Kings won the crucial match, losing six wickets in the bargain on a steamy afternoon at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium. Eventually, it was left to their fast bowler Manpreet Gony to hit a six and a four in the last over bowled by Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.
A wide and a single and now Chennai needed three from three balls. Badrinath got a couple and a dot ball left him to get a single off the last ball to win. The Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy captain stepped out and swung the last ball into midwicket. Shikhar Dhawan made a valiant, but vain effort to make a catch of it.
Daredevils seemed to have lost the grip over the game when Albie Morkel stuck into Virender Sehwag to hit three sixes and a four in his quickfire 30. He and man-of-the-match Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned things around for the Chennai side before both fell in quick succession in the closing overs.
The chase was always going to be tough, but opener Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (40) and Stephen Fleming (44) gave the visitors a rousing start.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni must be thanking his stars as nothing went right for him after he put Daredevils in to bat. Daredevils scored 187 for five, thanks to their two in-form batsmen Gautam Gambhir (80) and Dhawan (59).
The Kotla track is never known to provide any assistance to the bowlers, but Dhoni, who have made it a habit of chasing in the tournament, stuck to his strategy against the Daredevils.
Sehwag was on fire and his quick-fire 23 off 18 balls dented the confidence of the Chennai bowlers. Taking advantage of Sehwag’s blitzkrieg, Gambhir tore the attack apart.
Gambhir got a reprieve in the second over, when he was half way down the track and had given up but Suresh Raina’s wayward throw saved him. He then went on to hit 11 boundaries and a huge six in his 49-ball knock. Gambhir and Dhawan added 121 runs for the third wicket to raise hopes of a victory.