 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab in New Delhi on Saturday.
Delhi Capitals avenged their shocking first-leg defeat with a five-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab, brightening their prospects of making the play-offs of the Indian Premier League, in New Delhi, on Saturday.
Chasing 164 for victory, experienced opener Shikhar Dhawan laid the foundation with a fluent 56 of 41 balls, while skipper Shreyas Iyer contributed an unbeaten 58 off 49 balls to complete the job with two balls to spare. Iyer hit five fours and a six.
In the first leg in Mohali, DC lost seven wickets for eight runs to gift KXIP victory after sitting pretty at 144 for three in the 17th over while chasing 168.
Once again, the hosts were comfortably placed at 141 for three at the end of the 17th over with 23 needing off 18 balls before a couple of quick wickets made things interesting at the end.
Dhawan miscued the pull shot and was caught on the leg side before Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away with a reckless sweep shot off pacer Hardus Viljoen, followed by the wickets of Colin Ingram and Axar Patel off successive deliveries in the 19th over.
Iyer held his nerve at the end as he pulled Sam Curran for a boundary in the final over to guide his team to victory.
Dhawan had struck seven fours and a six before Ravichandran Ashwin ran from mid-on to the midwicket region to compete a fine catch while avoiding a collision with an onrushing Chris Gayle.
During his stay in the middle, Dhawan had some fun by dancing around the crease as Ashwin threatened to Mankad him.
This was DC's second win at home in five outings and sixth overall, occupying the third place in the standings. KXIP remained on fourth with 10 points.
Earlier, Chris Gayle smashed five gargantuan sixes into the night sky before Delhi Capitals put the brakes and restricted Kings XI Punjab to 163 for seven.
Gayle top scored with a quickfire 69 from 37 balls, reaching to the half-century in 25 balls and hitting six boundaries besides the towering sixes.
Coming back into the team, young leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane returned figures of 3/40, playing an influential role in helping pull back Punjab after Gayle's blitzkrieg.
Considering the dew factor in mind, Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer invited the visitors to bat first.
And the hosts, seeking to end their run of woes at the Feroz Shah Kotla, enjoyed early success when Lamichhane tossed the ball up and had K L Rahul stumped with one that turned sharply in the second over.
Ignored for the World Cup primarily because he is considered inferior to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps, Rishabh Pant did a fine job whipping the bails off in a flash, as Rahul walked back after welcoming Lamichhane with a six down the ground and a four.
Apart from managing two runs from the nine deliveries he faced, Mayank Agarwal watched the action unfold from the other end, as Gayle flayed the Delhi spinners.
The 'Universe Boss', entering the game with 421 runs from nine matches, started his onslaught by smashing Ishant Sharma's knuckle ball over long on for one of the biggest sixes the stadium has ever witnessed, the 101m maximum threatening to break the windows of The Willingdon Pavilion.
He toyed with Amit Sharma and smoked the experienced leg-spinner for three maximums, including two over the deep mid wicket region.
Before that, the big-hitting Jamaican, one of the biggest globetrotters in T20 leagues, cut, drove and swept Lamichhane for four boundaries in a single over.
It took an acrobatic effort from Colin Ingram in the deep to bring to an end Gayle's belligerent stay in the middle.
After sweeping a Lamichhane delivery into the crowd, Gayle went for one too many, and Ingram, taking the ball over his head, lobbed it to Axar Patel before falling over the ropes.
Lamichhane then dismissed Sam Curran in the same 13th over in which he had got the wicket of Gayle, to peg the visitors back.
Pacer Kagiso Rabada picked up 2/23 in four overs, while Axar Patel took 2/22 in three overs.