Delhi Capitals (DC) clinched a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 66 of the , held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. With this victory, DC held the fifth position on the points table with 15 points and PBKS remained in second place with 17 points.
Talking Points
PBKS batters delivered a cumulative effort
Batting first, PBKS had a shaky start as young opener Priyansh Arya was dismissed cheaply. But, Prabhsimran Singh (28 off 18) and Australian Josh Inglis (32 off 12) added quick runs in the powerplay. The PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with a composed 53 off 34 balls, while Marcus Stoinis provided late fireworks by smashing 44 off just 16 deliveries.
DC bowlers kept the damage in check
Even though PBKS batters smashed runs all over the ground, DC’s bowlers managed to keep the run rate under control in a few phases. The left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman claimed three wickets while spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam chipped in with two each.
Rahul-du Plessis set the tone
In the chase, DC openers KL Rahul (35 off 21) and Faf du Plessis (23 off 15) gave their side a flying start, and put together a 55-run partnership in 33 balls. The aggressive approach provided a solid foundation for the DC chase.
PBKS fought back briefly
PBKS struck back with quick wickets, as Marco Jansen dismissed KL Rahul and Harpreet Brar took out du Plessis. Praveen Dubey then removed Sediqullah Atal which left DC slightly struggling at 93/3 after 10.1 overs.
Nair and Rizvi seal the deal
Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi then took charge of the chase with a quick 61-run stand in just 30 balls. Nair scored a steady 44 off 27 balls, while Rizvi smashed 58 runs off 25 balls which included five sixes. Rizvi finished the match with a six off Marcus Stoinis and guided DC home with three balls to spare.
Who Said What?
Shreyas Iyer, PBKS (Losing Captain)
It was a fantastic score. There was some odd and variable bounce. It was above par. I think we weren’t disciplined enough with our lengths. We went overboard with the bouncer. Couldn’t hit the hard length. It is bigger than the Premier League. You got to stay positive and calm. You come in with fresh mindset on the next day. You have to stick to the present. We got to go back to the drawing board. We will look to come in with some strong plans. The finger (on injury concern) should be fine for the next game.
Faf du Plessis, DC (Winning Captain)
It is really important. We wanted to finish top four, but finishing in top five was a fair reflection on us. (on where did the campaign go wrong for them) It’s one of the great mysteries, we tried to answer that question a few times in the dressing room. Confidence, lack of runs, when you are playing well, you get to win the small margins. Every game that small window of 5-6 overs in batting and bowling and in a big tournament like that it cost us. IPL is all about young boys and domestic players, Vippy was amazing for us, not only with ball but bat as well, it’s rare for a legspinner to be an allrounder. Two or three batters in that lineup, if they keep learning and improving, they can go a long way.
Sameer Rizvi, Player of the Match
It feels really good. The hard work I put in the last 2-3 months has paid off. I did not have the confidence before that I can play like this at this level, but after one innings, that came and now I feel I can do it. When I went in, more than 100 was needed, I looked at my first three-four balls and then played my shots.
