The duo put on 71 runs for the second wicket in little under seven overs to put Deccan back on track after the early loss of skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
But Shahbaz Nadeem, who triggered the collapse against Mumbai Indians in Daredevils' last match, did a repeat as Deccan lost the plot in the middle overs.
It was thanks to some effective hitting from Bharat Chipli that lifted Deccan towards the end after Morne Morkel threatened to run through the line-up with twin blows.
Chipli hit three fours and a six during his 17-ball 25.
Morkel finished with impressive figures of three for 23 while Nadeem was even better as he picked up his three wickets for just 16 runs.
Opting to bat, Deccan were dealt a blow early as they lost Sangakkara in the third over off Morkel.
But Dhawan and Patel not only steadied the ship, but also maintained a healthy run rate, bringing up Deccan's 50 in 36 balls on what seemed like a good batting track at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Both Dhawan and Patel played some effective shots, particularly on the on side. The two left-handers executed the pull and hook shots quite often and to good effect. MORE PTI AH SSC
