Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a historic win on Saturday, defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk for the first time in 14 years. The 25-run victory ended CSK’s dominant seven-match winning streak against DC at their fortress, a run that had lasted since 2010. Delhi’s previous win at the venue came during the 2010 IPL season — making Saturday’s triumph a significant milestone.
This defeat also marks a deeper trend for CSK: their continued struggles while chasing targets of 180 or more. The franchise has now failed in their last 10 attempts to overhaul 180-plus scores, a streak that dates back to 2020. Among IPL teams, only Punjab Kings (15), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (12), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (11) have endured longer such streaks.
Saturday’s match saw CSK fall 25 runs short despite losing only five wickets — a rare occurrence in IPL history. Only four teams have faced heavier defeats under similar conditions (chasing under 200 with five or fewer wickets down).
The last time CSK successfully chased a 180-plus target was in 2018, against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune. Since then, the top order’s performance in high-pressure chases has been dismal, with a collective strike rate of 120.74 and an average of 17.86 — both the lowest among all IPL teams.
Despite the loss, a silver lining emerged in the form of an unbeaten 84-run stand between Vijay Shankar and MS Dhoni — CSK’s highest-ever partnership for the sixth wicket or lower in the IPL. Their stand lasted 9.2 overs, the second-longest unbroken partnership in a losing cause in IPL history. Yet, it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
Interestingly, Dhoni’s contributions appear to be more significant in CSK defeats than wins. Since IPL 2023, he has averaged 90.66 in CSK losses, compared to just 13.80 in victories, contributing only 20.23% of his total runs during that period in wins.
With this result, not only has Delhi ended a long-standing jinx at Chepauk, but the match has also spotlighted some worrying trends for CSK — particularly when it comes to chasing under pressure.