In a match where bowlers were sent on a leather hunt on a batting-friendly surface with short boundaries in Visakhapatnam, some of them managed to hold their own.
The high-scoring IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants in Visakhapatnam, which witnessed batters clobbering 29 sixes and 34 boundaries in total, five bowlers came up with decent bowling spells and withstood the onslaught.
A look at the best spells of the match:
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep was easily the pick of the bowlers. He gave away just 20 runs in four overs and picked up two wickets, including that of rival captain Rishabh Pant, who was out for a duck. He maintained a tight line, bowling 15 dot balls, and helped DC restrict the run flow.
The LSG batters found him tough to pick on a batting-friendly surface as he outfoxed them with guile and his natural attributes.
Interestingly, he bamboozled Pant for the third time in five innings in the IPL.
With his accuracy and zip off the pitch, he made life difficult for LSG batters and played a key part in the side's thrilling win.
Digvesh Rathi
The mystery spinner from Delhi had played just two T20s for LSG before this game. A relatively unknown commodity at the highest level of cricket, he came up with an excellent spell of spin bowling against the much-vaunted DC batting line-up.
The ball with which he outsmarted DC Skipper Axar Patel was an absolute beauty. He lured the southpaw to sweep a length delivery on the stumps, but Axar mistimed it and offered a simple catch to backward square-leg.
Later, he deceived Vipraj Nigam, who was having a good time with the bat, with a good length ball that bounced awkwardly and induced a top-edge. He returned excellent figures of 2/31 in his quota of four overs with a decent economy of 7.75.
He will definitely be a potent weapon in LSG's armory in the matches to come.
Mitchell Starc
Starc does what he does best, tormenting batters with his pace, swing and accuracy.
On a flat surface, he bowled his heart out, picking 3/42, as DC fought back from a seemingly hopeless situation to contain LSG, who were fancying to post a 250-plus score when Nicholas Pooran was at the crease.
In the 15th over, he bowled a full-length delivery and generated some reverse swing. Pooran tried to slog it but completely missed and was clean bowled. If Pooran had stayed for a couple of overs more, LSG's total could have easily gone past 250.
Notably, he dismissed Pooran for the second time in the IPL in just four balls.
He later claimed the wickets of Shahbaz Ahmed and Ravi Bishnoi in his final over to help DC restrict LSG to 209/8 as the visitors lost six wickets for 76 runs in the last eight overs.
Manimaran Siddharth
The 26-year-old Tamil Nadu bowler came in as an Impact Sub and picked up two wickets at a crucial juncture. First, he tossed up a ball outside off and induced a thin outside-edge off Samir Rizvi's bat with his turn and bounce.
It was a crucial wicket in the context of the match as Rizvi, known for his big hitting abilities, could make only four runs as many as balls.
He next claimed the wicket of the dangerous Tristan Stubbs with a superb delivery.
The ball turned and gripped, taking Stubbs by surprise as he was beaten on the outside edge. The ball took a deflection off the back thigh and crashed onto his stumps. The youngster ended up with impressive figures of 2/39 in his four overs.
Shardul Thakur
LSG's decision to open the bowling with Shardul Thakur took everyone by surprise. Drafted in by LSG as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan, he made an instant impact with two wickets in the first over.
He dismissed DC opener Fraser-McGurk with his third ball for one before he accounted for Abishek Porel two balls later.
Keeping a long-off and deep square-leg back, Thakur bowled an outswinger outside off, inviting the batter to have a go. Fraser-McGurk duly obliged but the ball went straight up, offering a simple catch at long-off before Porel was caught behind for a duck.
Thakur bowled only two overs, giving away 19 runs and picking two wickets, but he did exactly what he was asked to do.
Photographs: BCCI
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