At a Glance
- DC beat PBKS in must-win match
- Axar and Miller score fifties as DC record their second-highest chase in IPL history
- Earlier, Iyer and Arya scored fifties to take PBKS past 200
The Delhi Capitals kept themselves in the hunt for the playoffs, beating the Punjab Kings in a must-win fixture. Having been set a target of 211, DC beat PBKS by three wickets with an over to spare. The defeat was Punjab’s fourth in a row, a sequence of games that has seen them drop from first to fourth place on the table.
DC’s middle order came to the party after early inroads by the PBKS pacers saw the Capitals in an all-too-familiar unpleasant position.
This time, things would be different, however. The left-handed duo of Axar Patel and David Miller saw Delhi home in a game that didn’t see a single over of spin from either side. In fact, this was the second-highest run chase by the Capitals in IPL history,
Punjab Kings 210-5 (Iyer 59*, Arya 56, Tiwari 2-40) lost to Delhi Capitals 216-7 (Axar 56, Miller 51, Arshdeep 2-21) by three wickets. View the full scorecard here.
Powerplay Troubles for the Delhi Capitals
With the ball continuing to assist quicks, PBKS speedster Arshdeep Singh started things off tight in the first over, before dismissing KL Rahul and Sahil Parakh in his second and third overs. Yash Thakur was in on the act too, cleaning up Abhishek Porel to put DC on the back foot early in the innings.
As a result, DC managed to make just 47-3 at the end of the powerplay and found themselves staring at an all too familiar script in the ongoing IPL season.
The Middle Order Fight Back as DC Beat PBKS
Coming in at #5, captain Axar Patel would lead from the front. Axar, who had scored fewer than 50 runs across the season before today, scored a massive 56 in what was starting to look like a difficult chase.
After joining Axar out in the middle, David Miller ably supported his captain till the former got out. Miller then took charge himself, including three sixes in four balls before he was dismissed for an excellent 28-ball 51. One wonders why he was dropped from the side at all when he plays innings like this.
Ashutosh Sharma and Madhav Tiwari then came together to put together a rapid 35-run partnership to come within touching distance of completing this historic chase. With the game almost as good as done, Aquib Nabi came in and hit a four and a six to take DC home. Tiwari was named the Player of the Match for his two wickets and an unbeaten 8-ball 18.
Arya, Iyer Lead PBKS to Big Total
In the Punjab Kings innings, Priyansh Arya got his team off to a rapid start. He hit two sixes off Mitchell Starc in the first over. A four off Prabhsimran Singh’s blade and that first over went for 22 runs.
It was raining sixes in the first half of the powerplay as PBKS reached 50 in just 2.4 overs. Delhi responded well to pull things back just a little bit after. And the pressure told. Prabhsimran tried to pull Mukesh Kumar in the first over after the powerplay but only succeeded in miscuing the ball to a diving Aquib Nabi at deep backward square.
Arya followed soon after. A period of pressure before and a little after he got to his fifty was followed by slicing one to Sahil Parakh deep on the offside. A more-than-useful first IPL wicket for 22-year-old Madhav Tiwari.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Cooper Connolly then went about steadily rebuilding for a while. Connolly was dismissed as they looked to accelerate. A second wicket on a memorable night for young Tiwari.
Iyer stuck around till the end, however, remaining unbeaten on a well-made 59 off just 36 balls. At the other end, Suryansh Shedge played a very important cameo after two wickets in two balls for Mitchell Starc threatened a collapse. Shedge would hit the hat-trick ball back over Starc’s head for six. Shedge would finish on 21 off eight balls, as the Kings dragged themselves to 210-5 in their allotted 20 overs.
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