Suresh Raina after missing out on the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) showed that he has still got it as he rebuilt the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) innings against the Delhi Capitals in an IPL 2021 match at the Wankhede Stadium. Rishabh Pant, making his captaincy debut in the IPL, won the toss and invited the MS Dhoni-led team to bat.

The toss turned out to be critical as the Delhi-based franchise struck early to remove both the Chennai openers cheaply. While Ruturaj Gaikwad could only score Faf du Plessis took the long walk for a duck.

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After the double jolts, Suresh Raina and Moeen Ali motored their team forward. With a strike rate of 150, Ali sent the bowlers on a leather hunt. However, his stay in the middle was cut short by Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed the left-handed batsman for 36.

Raina, on the other hand, kept the scoreboard ticking and it wasn’t late when he scored his 39th IPL fifty to steady the CSK ship. As he bludgeoned the DC bowlers all over the park, the Delhi-based franchise had a request for Raina. In a tweet, the DC said, ” O Chinna Thala, please aur mat maarna.”

However, Raina’s inning was cut short by an ill-fated run-out. The CSK batting line-up crumbled like a pack of cards as DC bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals, not allowing the opposition to settle in.

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MS Dhoni, who was invited to bat, during the toss, said: “We were also looking to bowl, it’s slightly difficult to defend on this ground. Dew could be a factor, but it’s cloudy today, so it might not be a factor. The combination looks good, some of the overseas players turned up late, some are in quarantine, but we are ready to go.”

As far as the match is concerned, Delhi Capitals beat the Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets.