CSK, DC in dress rehearsal before potential playoffs duel

On Oct 3, 2021

In what could be the precursor to the first qualifier, the two top teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are set to rake in whatever psychological advantage that can be gained from a victory when they play each other today.

For DC, this will be a continuation of a team that they have always been desperate to do well against, particularly since they lost to them thrice (including a knock-out) in 2019.

The three times since, they’ve come out on top always, including in the first half of the 2021 season.

It was one of CSK’s three losses in a season where they’ve grown into a formidable team that understands and embraces a new style of play, including newer central characters.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, fresh off a maiden IPL ton, leads that new age even as the likes of M. S. Dhoni and Suresh Raina play different roles now down the order.

With both teams on top of their strategies and executions so far, this game could provide the window for what’s in store at the decisive stages of the tournament. (Agencies)