Shankar reached his fifty in 43 balls, the slowest of IPL 2025 so far, as the asking rate ballooned beyond 27 an over during his stand with MS Dhoni
Vijay Shankar (Pic: iplt20/BCCI)
Delhi Capitals ended a 15-year drought at Chepauk with a clinical 25-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL 2025 on Saturday. Despite brief resistance from the middle order, CSK’s chase of 184 faltered under pressure, with Vijay Shankar’s painstaking fifty becoming a key talking point.
Needing 184 to win, CSK were quickly pegged back after losing Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Devon Conway inside the Powerplay. Shankar attempted to anchor the innings, but his 54-ball 69 was short on intent and boundaries.
Shankar reached his fifty in 43 balls, the slowest of IPL 2025 so far, as the asking rate ballooned beyond 27 an over during his stand with MS Dhoni. Though he held one end, the lack of urgency left CSK’s lower order with too much to do.
Earlier, DC posted a competitive 183/6, powered by KL Rahul’s elegant 77 off 51 balls. Abhishek Porel smashed 33 off 20, while cameos from Axar Patel (21 off 14) and Tristan Stubbs (24* off 12) gave Delhi late momentum. Chennai’s bowlers, despite flashes of discipline, leaked runs at the death.
After the early collapse, CSK’s hopes hinged on a middle-order rebuild. But Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja failed to capitalize, and with Dhoni unable to find the fence consistently, Delhi maintained control. The home side eventually limped to 158/5, falling short by 25 runs.
Shankar's stint with IPL
Shankar made his IPL debut with the Chennai Super Kings in 2014, featuring in just one match that season. Since then, he has represented multiple franchises in the league. In 2017, he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he played four games and registered his maiden half-century.
The following year, he joined Delhi Capitals for a single season before returning to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he remained for two more seasons leading up to the mega auction. His most notable team success came in 2022 when he was part of the Gujarat Titans’ title-winning campaign, albeit in a limited role. In the 2023 season, the introduction of the Impact Player rule provided greater opportunities, allowing Shankar to make a more significant contribution to the side.
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