IPL Pulse: CSK pave way for a Royal Rumble

Say hello to a heated-up points table with a midsection set for a Royal Rumble. CSK have pulled up their socks in time. DC have taken them off and chucked them.

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Axar confidently batted first, but a sticky wicket put them in a spot. Rizvi and Stubbs's rescue acts made it a game worth competing for DC. Purple Cap holder Kamboj endured a rare off-day. Samson starred, Kartik supplemented as 156 was chased without breaking a sweat. CSK are firmly in playoffs contention; DC have slipped into do-or-die territory.

The sun rose and set, and Delhi bungled their tactics again. On a surface attuned to spin, they shot themselves in the foot by batting first. A collapse ensued. They preferred Nair over Rizvi on a track with spin, only to bring in Rizvi later as they ran out of batters. Poor shot selection, a weak defence by the bowlers. It's all really messy for DC.

DC bag the triple delusion award for convincing themselves to bat again at home, only for the result to not change. They hit 264 and lost. They folded for 75 and lost. Last night, they were somewhere in between, but still not good enough.

DC batters get the find-the-fielder award for their uncanny ability to spot and fill the palms of CSK fielders repeatedly. The entire top five walked back the same way, having offered an easy lob off their bat.

Jamie Overton and Ruturaj Gaikwad jointly bag the that's-a-meme award for staring blankly at each other as a catch went abegging, landing between the two. A recreation of the infamous Saeed Ajmal-Shoaib Malik mix-up from 2008.

Sanju Samson bags the timing-titan award for making six-hitting look easy on a track with grip and turn. Batting on a different plane, he hammered 37 off 19 against spin. Truly a class apart.

The smooth transition of CSK's spin attack. They have lost two titans in R Ashwin and R Jadeja, but Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad have seamlessly integrated and chalked out their roles. Akeal has been at the forefront, acing the Powerplay role, which has had a knock-on effect on Noor and the other bowlers. A big reason why CSK are on the rise after their early stutter.

Samson prefers Sanju over Chetta. Take note, CSK fans. When asked if he had an eye on his century, Samson admitted it crossed his mind, but he would have to be "a bit too selfish to get that".

Badani explained how worrying the Ngidi injury was: "He wasn't responding to anything. Even simple things like: 'Can you lift your hand, left thumb', there was no response. We were all panicking."

Kartik Sharma is here to stay. Ruturaj Gaikwad said it was good to get his confidence going, adding "he's not a wild slogger, can rotate the strike and hit the pockets".

Badani says Kuldeep has not "hit his peak form yet" and isn't bowling at speeds he would normally operate on, but insists DC have faith in him. Kuldeep Yadav has conceded 24 sixes, the most by a bowler, followed by 21 off Nandre Burger.

The ever-changing face of the Delhi pitch has ruffled feathers. Outside noise has been around DC tinkering with the surfaces too much, but the team has made it clear they have no hand in it and play with what is offered. After four losses in a row at home, the unease is growing.

Battle of the batting powerhouses. SRH and PBKS take on each other in a bid to stay away from the points table logjam. Just one point separates them. PBKS have more to lose: they've been shaken at the top with two losses and are just about hanging on to the No.1 position.

One reckless prediction for the evening

Hit-a-thon. Powerplay crushers. Death-over mavericks. All of it will go out of the window as a part-timer anticlimactically runs away with a five-for.