DC vs CSK | We made it tough for ourselves, says Rishabh Pant after DC clinch thriller

Shikhar Dhawan (39 off 35) and Prithvi Shaw’s (18 off 12)early blitz had put DC well ahead of the required rate during their run-chase of 137, before CSK bowlers strangled the scoring in the middle overs to keep the game in the balance.

Shardul Thakur’s double strikes in the 15th over, including that of Dhawan pushed DC on backfoot at 99/6, before Shimron Hetmyer’s 18-ball 26 took them over the line.

Birthday boy Rishabh Pant looked back at the win which put them on top of the points table, but admitted that the run-chase was made more difficult than it was supposed to be.

“Not a bad birthday present, but in the end we made it tough for ourselves,” said Pant, who turned 24 on Monday. “Prithvi got us to a decent start... We were always in the chase since it was a low total. Shikhar started well... (On Ashwin coming at No 6) Just to keep the left-right combination, that's it! Absolutely big win, and we want to be absolutely sure that we finish in the top two."

Earlier, it was Axar Patel (2/18) who stood out for DC with the ball, bagging key wickets of Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali to restrict CSK to 136/5. The all-rounder reflected on his overall effort.

"It is difficult to assess the length and line, and the pace of the ball [on such pitches],” said Axar, as he received the Player of the Match award. “I thought they scored 5-10 runs less in the powerplay. Hetmyer and I were discussing that they would bowl wide yorkers according to their field. Batting is your confidence booster, especially since we will be going to the playoffs. This confidence then helps you later."

DC will play Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last league fixture in Dubai on Friday, October 8.