So that'll be all from another contest in IPL 2023. The race for the playoffs continues to heat up though with fifteen more matches to go in the league phase. Two teams face off in a massive four-pointer at the Eden Gardens tomorrow - can the Kolkata Knight Riders make it three in a row or will the Rajasthan Royals arrest their recent slump and get back on track? Do join us for our coverage of that contest right here on Sportskeeda while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from around the globe on this very platform. For the moment though, this is the duo of Shashwat Kumar and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for joining us as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you tomorrow - good night and take care!

A lot of post-game chats between the players and support staff from the two teams again. It's a norm in the IPL and of course, it's a norm to try and pick MS Dhoni's brains at the end of the game. But how about this for a lovely, heartwarming moment - Jr. Dhoni, Ziva, runs out to embrace her father. She surely had a ball in the stands, as did every CSK supporter who enjoyed the big hits from their Thala yet again, apart from seeing the Yellow Brigade register their seventh win of the season. CSK are now the first team to win four matches at home this season. Just tells you why they are such a difficult team to breach in their own backyard alright. They've got one more game to go here but they will fancy their chances of returning here for either the first Qualifier or the Eliminator. Having taken a three-point lead from the Mumbai Indians despite playing an extra game, they will be eyeing that top-two finish now to give themselves a second bite at the cherry.

As for the Capitals, it's hard to see them possibly make a late dash for the playoffs now. 14 points can get you through, but given how their net run-rate is down in the dumps, it looks all but over for all practical purposes. Time to play party-poopers now and help some of the other teams with a favor or two but they still have three matches left and will want to put their best foot forward in those.

Ravindra Jadeja is the Player of the Match for his knock of 21 off 16 deliveries apart from figures of 1/19 off four overs. Here's what he has to say: Of course I would love to have a pitch like this in all seven games (beams). The wicket has been really good here but it felt good to get a pitch like this. While practicing we get an idea on what is the length to bowl on what pitch. That's the advantage we have over the away team. This is the home ground advantage we take and all the spinners, even Moeen bhai and Theekshana are doing well. Pathirana has been doing really well too. Overall the team is doing well. (Does he wish to bat higher up the order?) When I bat down the order everyone screams Mahi bhai's name. If I go up the order, they'd want me to get out (laughs). I'm happy to do whatever the team wants.

MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings captain): It turned a lot in the second half. We know our spinners use a lot mroe seam than some of the other bowlers. We thought it would slow down slightly. Frankly we were not sure what was a good score. I wanted the bowlers to bowl tight lines but not look for wickets every ball since that's when you tend to bowl loose deliveries. Overall 170 odd was good. As a batting unit we can do slightly better. On a wicket like this you were better playing some of the shots. What is important is whether you selected the right shot and whether you selected the right boundary. Moeen and Jaddu got a chance to bat. Other than that, the other batters have batted enough time. Jaddu has also batted enough but as we get into the end stages it's important that all the batters have got enough time under their belt. It's all about how ready you are when you go inside. I would have loved Mitch (Santner) since he would have done really well on this pitch. He really hits the seam. (On Ruturaj Gaikwad) He's batting really well - he's somebody if he starts scoring, his batting is really effortless. If he gets a good start and let's say Dev (Conway) is going after the bowlers, he's happy to rotate the strike and give him the strike. His awareness of the game is really good. He has shown that he's ready to adapt and whatever is good for the team, he's ready to do that. You rarely get people like that. Yes you get talented batters but people who read the game, people who understand the game and give cushion for the bowlers are important. (On his own sixes) That's what my job is. I'm old and I have to look to score - don't make me run a lot. Happy to bat how many ever deliveries I'm getting and I'm also practicing accordingly so that really helps.

Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings): It was swinging nicely but at the same time the pitch was a little slow. As a bowler when you know it's a slow track you don't try to bowl quick on that track. I had a chat with Mahi bhai and we planned that if the pitch was getting slow, we wouldn't bowl fast on that track. (On the total they got) We thought the wicket slowed down in the second innings. It was also cloudy today so we knew there wouldn't be any dew and that's why Mahi bhai chose to bat first. In the powerplay the ball was coming onto the bat nicely but after that it was difficult with the long square boundaries. You can say it was a par score but as we've seen in the IPL, teams have been chasing 200+ scores easily with the impact player rule. 165 I would say was a par score because every team bats deep now. It's been difficult with the injuries. As a fast-bowler, you always start from zero when you're injured. I'm not fully 100 per cent at the moment but I'm trying my best.

David Warner, Delhi Capitals captain: (On where the game was lost) It goes back to losing three wickets (in the powerplay). We know opening combinations are crucial. We know their spinners are good enough to bring it back in the middle. It was us throwing our wickets away. We did not probably go as hard as he should have in the middle. 50 dots as well and we won't win many matches if that happens. (On the score) I think that was a very gettable total. We had to start well and then back ourselves towards the back end. There were four overs in the middle where we were not able to rotate strike. On this venue, you have to put pressure back onto the spinners. 

Match Summary: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 27 runs.

Shivam Dube 25 (12) | Matheesha Pathirana 3/37 (4)
Rilee Rossouw 35 (37) | Mitchell Marsh 3/18 (3)

They won the toss and elected to bat owing to the pitch being slow with MS Dhoni stating that it wasn't going to get better to bat on. That's exactly what transpired with dew staying away too and the Chennai Super Kings used their time machine to rewind the clock by about ten years if not more, to turn in a masterful defense at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Just like they did so many times in their glory years!

168 was never going to be easy to chase on a track like this and the Delhi Capitals' ordeal was compounded when David Warner slapped one into the hands of extra cover off just the second delivery of the innings. Philip Salt looked in ominous touch once again despite copping one on his ribs. It left him winded although he responded with a big six, only for Deepak Chahar to have the last laugh before a chaotic mix-up saw Mitchell Marsh sold down the river by Manish Pandey.

The Capitals were reeling early on but Rilee Rossouw came out timing it sweetly in the powerplay to rub some of the pressure back onto the bowlers. Once the spinners came on though, the age-old Dhoni spin-choke was orchestrated with Pandey and Rossouw kept quiet as they could only manage the singles. The asking rate continued to mount as a result and on a pitch where both Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali extracted sharp purchase, it was always going to make life difficult for the visitors.

The acceleration never came and despite the spinners being right on top of their lengths, neither Rossouw nor Pandey looked to take any evident risk and looked to bat deep instead. It fell flat on their face though with Matheesha Pathirana's mystery adding to their misery as he sent Pandey packing with a scorching yorker. Rossouw holed out soon after as Axar Patel walked out into a perilous situation yet again. The asking rate got way out of hand though and despite the odd hit to the fence thereafter, a masterful death overs display again from the slingy Pathirana shut the door firmly on the Capitals.

Some late boundaries came but alas, it was far too late with the game done and dusted. An age-old CSK spin-stifle saw them prevent Axar converting his cameo into something massive. It was always going to be the Super Kings once they got a firm foothold on the contest through the middle-overs and with this win, one reckons they have a foot into the playoffs. Stick around for the presentation...

Professional. It's a word one often associated with the CSK team of yore and this is a throwback to the good-old days where they would defend totals with ease at Chepauk. Chennai Super Kings win by 27 runs to consolidate their second spot on the table!

19.6 Matheesha Pathirana to Kuldeep Yadav, CSK WIN BY 27 RUNS! Slower delivery on a full length outside off stump. Kuldeep comes forward and prods it towards backward point. A bit of a quiet end to the game but take nothing away from what has been another excellent CSK display at home! They consolidate second spot on the points table and go to 15 points!

Final delivery of the contest...

There you go! That's just about all you have to do. Attack the stumps and get the job done. Yet another deceptive slower one from Pathirana to send Lalit packing with a delivery to spare.

19.5 Matheesha Pathirana to Lalit Yadav, KNOCKS HIM OVER! Slower delivery on a length on middle and off stump. Lalit is deceived completely but it and swings at it a week early. The ball squirms past the bat and then thunders into the stumps!

Too little, too late for the Capitals but it does reduce the margin of defeat for what it's worth.

19.4 Matheesha Pathirana to Lalit Yadav, THREE FOURS IN THE OVER! Full toss on leg stump. Lalit backs away and smears it past square leg for another boundary! Pathirana is travelling this over!

CSK would want to try and limit this late spurt of runs. Net run-rate is a huge factor and they'd certainly want to win by as many as they possibly can!

19.3 Matheesha Pathirana to Lalit Yadav, FOUR MORE! Dug into the track outside off stump. Lalit jumps up onto his toes and glides it over the fielder at backward point!

19.2 Matheesha Pathirana to Lalit Yadav, FOUR! Banged into the track on leg stump. Lalit rocks onto the back foot and hammers it through the vacant long leg region!

19.1 Matheesha Pathirana to Aman Khan, full delivery on off stump. Aman sits deep in his crease and powers it down the ground towards long on for a single