Imran Tahir ripped through the Delhi Capitals batting, picking 4/12, as Chennai Super Kings registered a convincing 80-runs victory in the clash between table-toppers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Suresh Raina (59) along with MS Dhoni (44) made solid contributions as CSK ended on 179/4 on a rather slow surface, giving a batting master-class about how to go about an innings on pitches where the ball isn’t exactly coming onto the bat.

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field first. CSK started rather tepidly with the score reading 3/0 after 3.1 overs before Suchith (2/28) picked his first wicket for Delhi Capitals, removing Watson for a nine-ball duck.

Raina came out attacking and found the boundaries with ease. However, CSK could only reach 27/1 after the powerplay. Du Plessis struggled to time the ball but he gave valuable support to Raina who looked good against the spinners and regained his form ahead of the qualifiers.

Raina completed his half-century but departed in the next over to Suchith as Dhawan took a tumbling catch at point.The southpaw looked good for his 59, which came off just 37 balls.

Ravindra Jadeja came out to join Dhoni in the middle and went for the attack right from the first ball. He hit 25 from 10 balls to give the momentum for the late push to the CSK. Umesh Yadav and Unadkat have faced the brunt of Dhoni’s bat. Dhoni was off the strike on the 4th delivery but then ran a quick bye off wide before depositing the final two balls into the stands.  He ended unbeaten on 44 off 22 balls as CSK finished at 179/4.

In chase, Prithvi Shaw was unlucky to depart early as he hit one sweetly but straight to Raina at covers as Deepak Chahar struck in his first over.

Skipper Iyer joined Shikhar Dhawan and the two looked really good for the visitors. Dhawan targeted Harbhajan Singh but the off-spinner showed his experience once again, persisting with the fuller length. Sweep shot  proved to be Dhawan’s downfall. That also was the beginning of Delhi collapse.

Pant came out to bat and has often been the case this year, hit an extraordinary boundary over extra cover but then hit the next delivery straight to Dwayne Bravo at long off. Imran Tahir again picked a wicket in his first over. Colin Ingram was caught at his crease as Jadeja got                                him lbw for 1.

Tahir then struck a double-blow, removing Axar Patel (9) and Sherfane Rutherford (1) in the same over. Dhoni’s lightening glove work accounted for Chris Morris (0) and captain Iyer (44) in the same over. The Capitals didn’t last long after that and were dismissed for 99.

M.S.Dhoni was chosen as the Man of the Match.