DC vs CSK Highlights Qualifier 1, VIVO IPL 2021: MS Dhoni Wins It for Chennai Super Kings, Former Champions Enter Ninth Final

This game is clearly not for the faint-hearted and one thing's for sure--one cannot bet against MS Dhoni. The CSK skipper has not been doing well with the bat but cometh the hour, cometh the man. And the veteran finisher has rolled back the days where he finished games at will, with just 18 runs off just six balls. It is three times a charm as Chennai Super Kings finally have been able to defeat Delhi Capitals this season and in a match that mattered the most. Chasing 173, Robin Uthappa and Ruturaj Gaikwad steadied the ship for CSK and when it looked that they would run away with the game, Delhi came back with a flurry of wickets. But Dhoni held his calm at the end and finished off in style! Chennai enter their ninth IPL final and would be waiting to see which side among Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore join them in the summit clash. As of now, it is a good good night for CSK fans while Delhi Capitals would aim to recuperate and come back hard in Qualifier 2. 

Chennai win and make it to the IPL 2021 final, their ninth in all! A thrilling contest and a classic Dhoni finish to put an end to it! The CSK captain has been under a lot of criticism and he has once again reminded why he is known as one of the best finishers in the game! 

OUT!  Moeen Ali departs while trying to hit a big shot and Rishabh Pant's ploy of bringing TOm Curran in might have worked. This game is going down to the wire!

Dhoni hits a biggie and it has come off the middle of the bat for a six, over mid-wicket. He has won such matches many times in the past and has to do it again. 13 runs needed of six balls!

OUT! Delhi have got the big one and it is Ruturaj Gaikwad. Aiming to hit a big one off Avesh Khan, he handed a catch to Axar Patel to did brilliantly to hold on to it while diving forward. Another twist in the game? MS Dhoni is the new man here and it is perfect situation from him. He can do it, and he has to! 

This game is slowly getting down to the wire, Chennai lost a flurry of wickets and have helped Delhi come back into this contest. CSK would rely on Gaikwad to see them through in this chase. He has been a shining light for CSK this season and crossed 600 runs this season, with 400 of them coming in the UAE since last month. 25 runs needed off 12 balls now!

This game is slowly getting down to the wire, Chennai lost a flurry of wickets and have helped Delhi come back into this contest. CSK would rely on Gaikwad to see them through in this chase. He has been a shining light for CSK this season and crossed 600 runs this season, with 400 of them coming in the UAE since last month. 25 runs needed off 12 balls now!

Delhi with three quick wickets, have bounced back in this match. First Uthappa, then Shardul Thakur and now Ambati Rayudu is run out and Shreyas Iyer has had a crucial role to play! Rayudu falls short of thre crease and Delhi are right back in the interesting match. 

FIFTY for Ruturaj Gaikwad! The youngster has roared back to form in this important clash and just as he was celebrating, Shardul Thakur, who was the new man, departed cheaply. A couple of wickets and Delhi are back in the match. 

OUT!  The partnership is finally broken and Robin Uthappa is the one to depart for 63 runs off 44 balls. Tom Curran provides Delhi a much-needed breakthrough and Uthappa skies the ball. Shreyas Iyer was the man to complete the dismissal, avoided a collision and took a good, cool catch after ensuring he did not cross over the boundary with the ball in hand. Shardul Thakur is the new man in! 

100- partnership between these two players, What a partnership it has been for CSK. Uthappa looked set from the first ball and Gaikwad took some time to get his eye and has looked unbeatable ever since. Ashwin's over leaked 12 runs and Chennai are cruising to victory here.

This partnership keeps growing for Chennai are so do their chances of reaching the IPL 2021 final. Uthappa, after having run three, needed some treatment on the field, probably due to a cramp. At this stage, CSK are cruising and Delhi need some magic to once again come back into the game. They have not had any reason to celebrate since the first over of this innings. 

After Uthappa, Gaikwad gets into the act now! He has hit a straight six and then a four of Axar Patel's bowling and CSK are looking strong in this chase now. He and Uthappa has given Chennai a great start after they lost Faf du Plessis very early. Delhi have to do something to separate these two or else the game might go away from their control.

FIFTY! Robin Uthappa scores a stylish fifty, his first in Chennai Super Kings' colours and this partnership has really blossomed into a good for CSK. 

Ravichandran Ashwin slowly slips in a quiet over but his partnership is looking good. They are complementing each other nicely and Chennai would be happy to see this. The more these two spend some time at the crease, the greater are CSK's chances of winning as they have looked solid and not done much wrong so far. 

Chennai have scored 64 runs so far off seven over and Uthappa in particular has been absolutely brilliant. He has rolled back the days when he used to give similar starts to KKR when they won the title in 2014 and Chennai would be happy that the right-hander made a timely return to form. Also, it is being heard that Suresh Raina might not be playing for Chennai Super Kings any more. He was out with a knee injury and with the mega-auctions approaching, it is likely he would join some other team. What a career he has had for Chennai over the years, since the first IPL season in 2008. An IPL legend by all means! 

Uthappa seems to get better and better and he smokes two sixes and two fours off Avesh Khan's bowling. He has looked really good and Chennai would want him to be there as long as possible. The duo complete fifty-run partnership and are looking good to take Chennai home. KKR fans, remember this Uthappa from 2014?

The introduction of spin has seemed to get the best out of Gaikwad, who plays a inside-out shot over cover for a boundary. He and Uthappa are slowly ticking on for Chennai and have kept them in the game after the early loss of du Plessis. 

Gaikwad greets Kagiso Rabada with a straight six. This lad has been in top form and apart from failing in the past few matches, he has been in red-hot touch this season. The young opener has a lot on his shoulders if he plans on winning this for Chennai. Uthappa also uses Rabada's pace and clips a ball on the pads for a four. The good thing about this partnership is that these two are also rotating the strike and not playing too many dot balls. Good over for Chennai!

A tidy over producing just four runs for Chennai. Three overs left in the powerplay and CSK need to get a move on to maximise the field restrictions. Delhi are aiming for another wicket which would help them dominate the game completely.