Delhi Capitals did all that they could to make their way into the final of IPL 2021 but in the end all their efforts went in vain as MS Dhoni stole victory for Chennai Super Kings with a vintage finisher's knock. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 18 runs off just 6 deliveries to guide CSK to their 9th IPL final. DC though are not yet out of contention for a place in the summit clash as they will play in Qualifier 2.
DC might have lost a close match but it wasn't all doom and gloom as there were quite a few good performances from their camp. Opener Prithvi Shaw shone bright with a quickfire half-century as he scored 60 runs off just 34 deliveries to give his team a flying start. Speaking about the match, Shaw said that he expects the team to bounce back stronger.
"At the moment, we have to back each other. The entire team takes the responsibility for our performance, whether we win or lose. We'll try and come back stronger in the next match. It's a tough loss to digest for the team. However, we have one more match through which we can qualify for the Final and I believe in each and everyone in the team. They are all great players - talent and skill-wise. I really believe that we can do something special in the next match and go through to the Final," Shaw was quoted as saying in an official Delhi Capitals press release.
When asked about MS Dhoni's blistering innings of 18 runs from 6 balls in the death overs, Shaw said, "MS Dhoni is something different, everyone knows that. We have seen him finish games so many times and it's nothing new for him or for us to see him do that. He's definitely a dangerous player whenever he bats. I feel very lucky to be in this atmosphere and get a chance to watch him as a batsman and a leader. He took the game away from us."
Shaw has so far scored 461 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2021 and is the second highest run-getter for the franchise this season.
The Delhi Capitals will take on the winner of the Eliminator match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 for a place in the IPL 2021 Final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Wednesday.