IPL 2018: CSK back to winning ways as MS Dhoni, Shane Watson star in 13-run win vs DD

Pune: Hosts Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got back to winning ways as they beat bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils (DD) by a narrow margin of 13 runs in the 30th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Monday.

CSK could not have asked for a better start as openers Shane Watson (78) and Faf du Plessis (33) put up a 102-run partnership at the top.

However, Du Plessis soon departed as Vijay Shankar produced the breakthrough for DD.

In came Suresh Raina (1), whose time at the crease was short-lived as he was clean bowled by Glenn Maxwell.

Watson looked set for scoring his second IPL century this season, but he miscued his lofted shot went as Liam Plunkett took a comfortable catch at long-off while Amit Mishra celebrated the wicket.

However, all was not done from the hosts' side as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced a fine innings of 51 runs from just 22 balls. Earlier, Dhoni had put up a 79-run stand with Ambati Rayudu (41), who missed out on a half-century.

In the end, CSK finished with a mammoth total of 211-4.

DD, who were once again without former skipper Gautam Gambhir, got off to another worst start as debutant KM Asif saw off Prithvi Shaw in his very first over. Asif continued to glaring form as he removed Colin Munro for 26.

This was followed by a silly error by Shreyas Iyer, who was run-out by Shane Watson easily for the third wicket.

Despite the frequent collapse of wickets, it was Rishab Pant (79) who kept the visitors in the game.

However, Pant was dismissed by comeback man Lungi Ngidi as that ended the visitors' hopes of bouncing up from the bottom of the table.

In the end, his hard-fought knock went in vain, as Delhi Daredevils slumped to their sixth defeat this season.