DELHI CAPITALS SCORE A 9-WICKET WIN OVER PUNJAB KINGS

Bowlers played a key role for Delhi Capitals as they bundled out Punjab Kings for 115 and their batters too pitched in strongly, chasing the target in inside 11 overs in the IPL match at Brabourne Stadium here on Wednesday.

Delhi Capitals Khaleel Ahmed celebrates the dismissal of Punjab Kings Jonny Bairstow during the IPL 2022 match Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. ANI

Punjab King’s 115 is the lowest total by any team so far in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2022. The total was chased by DC with 57 balls to spare as the team boosted their NRR (Net Run Rate). Capitals never looked in trouble throughout the match as they inflicted a heavy nine-wicket defeat on Punjab Kings.

Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed and Lalit Yadav scalped two wickets each for DC while Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman picked one. Among batters, David Warner remained not out on 60 while Prithvi Shaw played a quick knock of 41.

For Punjab Kings, no batter was able to leave his mark. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma and skipper Mayank Agarwal top-scored with knocks of 32 and 24 respectively. Rahul Chahar scalped the lone wicket of Shaw in the match for Punjab.

The only way for Punjab Kings to make a match of their total was by picking few early wickets. But, instead, it was carnage from Shaw and Warner. The pair recorded their fourth consecutive 50 plus opening stand and reached the landmark in just 3.3 overs.

Their show didn’t stop there as they raced to 81 in the powerplay, making it the highest for the season. After that, it was a mere formality as they chased down the total in 10.3 overs and boosted the team’s NRR.

Earlier, put in to bat first, Punjab Kings had a bad start as they amassed 47 runs with the loss of three wickets in the first six overs. In the fourth over, Lalit Yadav struck to remove Shikhar Dhawan. Veteran opener tried to paddle the wide of leg delivery but the ball teased the bat and the catch was taken by the keeper.

Mustafizur Rahman removed PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal in the very next over. And in the last over of the powerplay, Axar Patel dismissed in-form batter, Liam Livingstone.

In the 7th over, Khaleel Ahmed also joined the wicket-taking party as he sent Jonny Bairstow back into the pavilion.

Jitesh Sharma and Shahrukh Khan then tried to rebuild the innings for Punjab in the middle overs. The 31-run partnership finally came to an end after Axar Patel struck to remove Jitesh Sharma in the 13th over. Patel bowled a full-length ball to which Jitesh Sharma played a sweep shot and missed the ball which hit him in his pads resulting in LBW.

In the next over, Kuldeep Yadav also joined the wicket-taking DC bowlers as he removed Kagiso Rabada and Nathan Ellis to put more misery on PBKS. In the 15th over, Khaleel Ahmed dismissed Shah Rukh Khan for his second wicket of the night.

Lalit Yadav also got his second wicket after removing Rahul Chahar in the 18th over. In the last ball of the last over, Rishabh Pant ran out Arshdeep Singh.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 115/10 (Jitesh Sharma 32, Mayank Agarwal 24; Axar Patel 2-10) vs Delhi Capitals (David Warner 60*, Prithvi Shaw 41; Rahul Chahar 1-21).