Chennai Super Kings 223 for 3 (Conway 87, Gaikwad 79) beat Delhi Capitals 146 for 9 (Warner 86, Chahar 3-22, Pathirana 2-22, Theekshana 2-23) by 77 runs

Up subsequent for them are Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, on their residence turf at Chepauk in Qualifier 1.

For Capitals, the top was as tame as the beginning of the season. Warner was the one top-order batter to indicate any semblance of kind and consistency all through. His 86 off 58 had its thrilling moments, notably in opposition to Ravindra Jadeja, however the collapse round him meant all the pieces he did was merely limiting injury.

Conway's powerplay surge

MS Dhoni felt it was a dry floor. Warner agreed. So it was no shock to see spin early within the powerplay. But CSK's method two overs in instructed you the floor appeared higher than anticipated.

Conway stepped out to launch Lalit Yadav's offbreak for his first six, the season's one thousandth, within the second over to start the sixathon. It was no completely different even when there was tempo on the ball. Khaleel Ahmed was flicked disdainfully and when Anrich Nortje went brief into the physique, Conway cleverly received inside the road to ramp for 4.

CSK's fifty was up in simply the fifth over, with Gaikwad and Conway going nearly neck and neck.

Gaikwad overcomes slight blip

Overs six to 9 produced only one boundary, however Gaikwad broke the shackles when he pulled Axar Patel's brief balls for 2 consecutive sixes within the tenth over. Off the following supply, he raised a 37-ball half-century.

Two overs later, Kuleep Yadav discovered himself underneath the pump. Enthused by Gaikwad getting a vanguard to a tossed-up googly that drifted away earlier within the innings, he generously tossed them up once more, away from the hitting arc. This time, although, Gaikwad received to the pitch and went 6, 6, 6, by peppering completely different arcs within the 'V' down the bottom to show the innings into overdrive.

Soon, Gaikwad and Conway raised 1000 runs as a gap pair in simply their twentieth innings.

Gaikwad's fury ended when he was caught on the ropes making an attempt to muscle a brief ball out of the bottom, however the two overs following his dismissal went for 3 fours and two sixes. Conway pressed the pedal after his 33-ball half-century, galloping in direction of a century because the dying overs loomed.

Delhi Capitals' batting effort was nearly fully about David Warner•BCCI

The high-power end

Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 forward of Jadeja, however when Shivam Dube fell with 12 balls left, it introduced Jadeja out anyway. And he smashed three fours and a six off the seven balls he confronted as CSK completed with 223 for 3. The final six overs went for 83 runs.

Chahar dents Capitals

Tushar Deshpande eliminated Prithvi Shaw early to an excellent catch from Ambati Rayudu at mid-off. Deepak Chahar made additional incisions within the powerplay when he eliminated Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw to gradual Capitals down. Salt discovered cowl making an attempt to drive a size ball up and over the infield, whereas Rossouw chopped on.

Warner's lone battle

Warner discovered his hitting gear after a gradual powerplay as he received caught into Jadeja by muscling him down the bottom. He introduced up his fifty off simply 32 balls after which upped the tempo much more in Jadeja's final over that went for 23 and made him end with 4-0-50-1. Warner, who saved hitting him with the spin into the brief leg-side boundary, outfoxed him with a change hit for six as Jadeja tried to fireplace it away from his hitting arc. The hand-eye coordination, the wrist work, the execution have been all prime notch.

As wickets continued to fall, Warner saved counter-punching, however the bowling meltdown and their very own top-order collapse in a gradual begin meant the asking price had spiralled past attain very early. When Warner was out, dragging a cutter off Matheesha Pathirana right down to long-on, it appeared as if there could be not a lot else left within the recreation.

But Maheesh Theekshana delivered an exhilarating remaining over wherein he picked up two wickets in two balls and was heartbreakingly denied a hat-trick within the wicket maiden. There have been smiles all spherical because the evaluate for the hat-trick wicket was turned down, however CSK have been via with a giant web run price increase.

*1655GMT: The story was up to date after CSK have been assured of the second spot

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo