DC vs CSK Live Score, IPL 2023: CSK seal playoffs berth with 77-run win over DC

Right then. The Chennai Super Kings have confirmed the Q next to their name but the top two spot is yet to be confirmed. That'll be confirmed depending on the result of the next game between KKR and LSG, which is already underway. You can switch tabs to catch all the action from that contest. For now, this is Pratyush Rohra, signing off on behalf of my partner, Pradeep Somashekhar. Thank you for joining our coverage. See ya!

Ruturaj Gaikwad is the Player of the Match. Here is what he has to say: Obviously, it was an important game to win and it was important for me as well. The 50th game for this franchise couldn't get better and thank you to them for backing me. [Plans today] I think the wicket was holding up a little bit and it was difficult to hit the pacers. With the spinners, we had a chance with shorter boundaries, so you can take extra risks. Once we set the platform till the 12th over, we knew there was enough firepower to come. [Conway] He's improved in the last year. He wanted to do that when he came in initially and he's always one of those guys open for conversations. I love having him around on and off the field. The conversation is about the plans on the field and that helps us both.

MS Dhoni: [CSK] There's no recipe as such. You try to pick the best players and give them the best slot, use them in a manner where they can perform. At the same time, groom them in areas that aren't strong. You have to do what's best for the team and everything else falls into play. The management and backroom staff deserve credit to form the environment but the players are of course important. [Death bowling] When it comes to death bowling, confidence is an important factor. When you look at Tushar from the start of the season, he has been a lot better. When you have the confidence behind you, you can perform more often than not. You have to put in work behind the scenes. You can see with Pathirana as well, he's put in the work behind the scenes and that shows on the field. One thing that's a bit difficult to figure out is the individuals who want to put the team first. They can't be looking at individual performances. It's difficult to figure that out initially but it's something we work on over the season. You have to try your best to adjust to the environment, even it's a 20% and then we can do the rest. 

Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings): It was an important game for us and we got the result we wanted from it. It was a 160 wicket, getting 220 was tremendous and we had set batters on a wicket like this, it was difficult for the new batters but our opening batters set the tone. I find this place better, in Chennai you sweat a lot and it's difficult to bowl knuckle ball and it's not easier to grip. It's difficult if you don't get the new ball in the later stage of the game as it goes out of shape. Tushar has improved a lot in the last couple of years, he has the confidence with the stock balls and he goes with plan b or c, he's learning and getting better. Pathirana is very difficult to face with that kind of action, we have a great combination in the powerplay and Pathirana bowling the powerplay.

David Warner (Delhi Capitals captain): We know when we were on, were on, we saw that in Dharmasala. We lost wickets in heap and some close games hurt us, need to get back to drawing board and come back stronger next year. Always extremely wicket, can't keep badgering wicket and you got to adapt and got to have your game plan and here you need to play straight, just need to assess conditions and get used to it. It didn't turn as much as I expected, but it kept low and slow. They bowled well, they had runs on the board and easy to dictate, I got it and I was able to find boundaries, shouldn't get bogged down. It's just about being as consistent as much you can, we lost early wickets in powerplay and as I said, when we're on as a team, we're on. We're going to think hard and come back stronger next season.

Chennai Super Kings won by 77 runs!

Devon Conway - 87 (52) | Deepak Chahar - 3/22
David Warner - 86 (58) | Chetan Sakariya - 1/36

Qualifier 1 is set for IPL 2023 with the top-two places confirmed. Well, almost. Gujarat Titans were already there before this contest and will be joined by the Chennai Super Kings, setting up a potentially lip-smacking contest between the two sides next week. The four-time champions have done it in some style too, pocketing the two points with a minimum of fuss, and can now sit back to wait for the outcome of the next game, hoping things go their way.

Their batters did the bulk of the work with the openers setting up the platform for a massive total. Once, that happened, Delhi Capitals needed to produce something similar to what they did in their previous outing. Well, their failure to do so has been the story of their season, and it wasn't much different this time around.

In a disastrous powerplay with the bat, the Capitals found themselves at 26-3 at one stage with Chahar and Deshpande doing some excellent work in the powerplay. From there on, it was pretty much all about David Warner trying to score some runs and save his side from an embarrassing defeat. 

He did his bit, finding ways to attack his match-ups and take on some of the Chennai bowlers, but there was no way he was going to chase this target down on his own. The CSK spinners squeezed like they usually do in the middle overs. The DC captain had a century in his sights but didn't manage to get there with Pathirana doing the cleanup job for the Super Kings, confirming their qualification in the playoffs.

Stick around to catch the post-game reactions.

This time Sakariya does his bit to delay the inevitable. Handshakes all around already though, which tells you all you need to know. Well, not like it matters anyway.

ANOTHER BIG SHOUT FOR LBW, THIS TIME THE FINGER GOES UP! Sakariya has reviewed it. Drops it short on the stumps, that skids on Sakariya who went back to play and misses, raps on the back pad. Well, well ball tracking confirms pitching outside the leg again. Handshakes are done already and Chennai Super Kings are through to the playoffs with that win! 

A big smile on MSD's face as he takes the review. He knew it wasn't out but took the review anyway. That's probably pitched outside leg stump though. Ball-tracking confirms the same.

LOUD SHOUT FOR LBW, NOT GIVEN! Dhoni reviews it instantly, that might just be missing or clipping the leg-stump. Length delivery on the leg-stump, Sakariya presses to defend but misses and that raps on the pad. Big gap between bat and ball, moving on to ball tracking. Indeed pitched outside the leg Pratyush!

Hat-trick ball...

Chetan Sakariya, RHB, comes to the crease

Kuldeep had walked off before deciding to chance a review. He'll have to continue walking all the way into the dugout because that decision isn't going to be overturned. 

OUT! BIG APPEAL FOR LBW, UP GOES THE FINGER! Theekshana gets Kuldeep first ball as Delhi are nine down now. Good length delivery that drifts in on the off-stump, Kuldeep presses to defend but misses and raps on the pad. That's crashing in on the off-stump. Kuldeep has reviewed it though. Nothing on the UltraEdge. THREE REDS with ball tracking, Kuldeep is almost near the ropes and he'll continue to walk back.

Kuldeep Yadav lbw b Maheesh Theekshana 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6)

Moeen Ali hasn't batted all game, neither has he bowled. He's been been fielding at extra cover, gobbling up catches and giving some folks who picked him a few fantasy points.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Another one bites the dust, length delivery outside the off-stump. Lalit reaches to hoick but has skied it over extra-cover. Moeen running back holds on to another sitter.

Lalit Yadav c Moeen Ali b Maheesh Theekshana 6 (12b, 0x4, 0x6)

short and wide of off-stump, Lalit slaps it away but finds extra-cover fielder for another dot.

darts a full delivery on the off-stump, Lalit drilled it into the off-side as Theekshana runs to his left to stop it himself.

Well, not even Rinku Singh can bail out the Delhi Capitals from this situation. It's been a tough campaign for them and it's coming to a rather tame end.

too full on the off-stump, Lalit drilled it over the top of the bowler's head for just one and keeps the strike.

change of pace, back of a length on the fifth stump. Lalit too early into the swipe and misses.

OH! Low full toss, tailed back in on the leg-stump. Nortje gets rushed as he misses the whip, thuds on the pad and they pick up a leg-bye.

Anrich Nortje, RHB, comes to the crease

That's a brilliant catch from Gaikwad! He had to cover a fair bit of ground before putting in the dive forward and he does that really well. No century for Warner after all. Pathirana bags his second wicket!

OUT! GAIKWAD PULLS OFF A SCREAMER! Change of pace doing the trick once again to Pathirana. Warner through with the shot too early and miscued it down to long-on. Gaikwad comes running forward, dives full length and pouches it. That's the end of a good innings from Warner!

David Warner c Ruturaj Gaikwad b Matheesha Pathirana 86 (58b, 7x4, 5x6)

length delivery outside the off-stump, right in the slot. Warner smacked it straight to mid-off fielder for no run.

too full and well outside the off-stump, Lalit drilled it to sweeper cover for another single.

Only a couple of overs to go now and Warner is 14 runs away from his century. Surely, he'll have one eye on that? Meanwhile, Deshpande wraps up his spell with figures of 1/26.

full and angled in on the leg-stump, Lalit misses the whip as it thuds on the pad and they sneak in a leg-bye to finish the over.

OH! Good stop from the sweeper at long-leg to stop a certain boundary. Change of pace, short and down the leg-side, Lalit helps it away and they scamper through for a brace.

short and well outside the off-stump, Warner waits and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

low full toss outside the off-stump, Warner walking into the shot misses, through to the keeper.

change of pace, back of a length on the leg-stump. Lalit too early to flick it but misses, thuds on the pad and they pick up a leg-bye.

wide yorker again on the seventh stump line. Warner walks across off-stump and squeezes it to deep covers for one.

If you're wondering how the playoff scenarios are going to work out, here's your guide.

short and wide of off-stump, Warner cuts it into the turf, through the covers for one and keeps the strike.

short and well outside the off-stump. Lalit stood tall and slaps it to deep covers for another single.

touch fuller outside the off-stump, Lalit drilled it down but straight to mid-off fielder for another dot.

WIDE! Loses his radar again, length delivery that goes outside the tramline and Pathirana has to reload that.

full toss, thigh height on the fourth stump. Warner guides it down to third-man for one more.

back of a length on the fifth stump, Lalit creams the drive through the covers for a single.

WIDE! Length delivery but goes way outside the off-stump, called a wide.

Another one bites the dust. Aman looked rather clueless, failing to pick the slower one.