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The questions everyone was asking after the toss were: why is the virtually unknown offspinner Sunny Gupta making his IPL debut in Delhi Daredevils' biggest game of the season and why was purple cap-holder Morne Morkel dropped? They are questions Daredevils management will likely be answering after the game as well, as M Vijay and Chennai Super Kings took toll of the weakened attack to run up the highest score of the tournament.
Super Kings came into the competition boasting a batting line-up littered with match-winners but they rarely clicked in unison in the league phase. Once the playoffs started, though, they have been a transformed unit. Two days after mauling Mumbai Indians, their batsmen fired again leaving Daredevils bowlers utterly clueless. Gupta was taken for 47 in his three overs, and Varun Aaron conceded 63 in his four, the most expensive figures in IPL history.
Much of the punishment came at the hands of Vijay, who hasn't had the best of tournaments. A poor run at the start of the season left him with the unwanted distinction of being the only retained Indian player to be dropped in 2012. Super Kings backed him after leaving him out for a few games, and he repaid the faith with a big-match innings that has put them on the verge of their third final in a row.
The hammering started right from the first over, as Gupta first two deliveries were driven to the long-off boundary by Vijay. Normally a player who favours the leg-side, it was his lofted drives through the off side that were the highlight of the innings.
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Toss Delhi Daredevils chose to bowl v Chennai Super Kings
For the biggest game of their campaign, Delhi Daredevils were without two of their first-choice players: purple cap holder Morne Morkel and allrounder Irfan Pathan. While there was an adequate replacement for Irfan in West Indies allrounder Andre Russell, Morne's place was taken by IPL debutant Sunny Gupta, a Tamil Nadu offspinner.
In contrast to the changes in the Daredevils side, Chennai Super Kings played the same XI that dismantled Mumbai Indians two days ago.
MS Dhoni lost the toss for the 12th time this season, and Super Kings were asked to bat first. Virender Sehwag explained his decision to bowl by saying the track wasn't expected to change much, but it might also be because Daredevils have been successful while chasing this season. This is the 14th time Daredevils are batting second, and they have been successful in nine of those matches.
Chennai Super Kings: 1 M Vijay, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Dwayne Bravo. 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Shadab Jakati, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus
Delhi Daredevils: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Naman Ojha (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Venugopal Rao, 6 Ross Taylor, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Pawan Negi, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Sunny Gupta
Super Kings came into the competition boasting a batting line-up littered with match-winners but they rarely clicked in unison in the league phase. Once the playoffs started, though, they have been a transformed unit. Two days after mauling Mumbai Indians, their batsmen fired again leaving Daredevils bowlers utterly clueless. Gupta was taken for 47 in his three overs, and Varun Aaron conceded 63 in his four, the most expensive figures in IPL history.
Much of the punishment came at the hands of Vijay, who hasn't had the best of tournaments. A poor run at the start of the season left him with the unwanted distinction of being the only retained Indian player to be dropped in 2012. Super Kings backed him after leaving him out for a few games, and he repaid the faith with a big-match innings that has put them on the verge of their third final in a row.
The hammering started right from the first over, as Gupta first two deliveries were driven to the long-off boundary by Vijay. Normally a player who favours the leg-side, it was his lofted drives through the off side that were the highlight of the innings.
More to follow
Toss Delhi Daredevils chose to bowl v Chennai Super Kings
For the biggest game of their campaign, Delhi Daredevils were without two of their first-choice players: purple cap holder Morne Morkel and allrounder Irfan Pathan. While there was an adequate replacement for Irfan in West Indies allrounder Andre Russell, Morne's place was taken by IPL debutant Sunny Gupta, a Tamil Nadu offspinner.
In contrast to the changes in the Daredevils side, Chennai Super Kings played the same XI that dismantled Mumbai Indians two days ago.
MS Dhoni lost the toss for the 12th time this season, and Super Kings were asked to bat first. Virender Sehwag explained his decision to bowl by saying the track wasn't expected to change much, but it might also be because Daredevils have been successful while chasing this season. This is the 14th time Daredevils are batting second, and they have been successful in nine of those matches.
Chennai Super Kings: 1 M Vijay, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Dwayne Bravo. 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Shadab Jakati, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus
Delhi Daredevils: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Naman Ojha (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Venugopal Rao, 6 Ross Taylor, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Pawan Negi, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Sunny Gupta