Spindle Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav was inspired in the middle even though Shardul Thakur complemented the duo with career-best IPL numbers as Delhi Capitals moved closer to a play-off spot defeating the Punjab Kings by 17 points in an IPL match on Monday. Invite bats, DC posted number 159 for 7 politely Mitchell Swamp48 tackles 63 and then limited Punjab to 142 for 9. Thakur (4/36), Axar (2/14) and Kuldeep (2/14) shared eight goals while Anrich Nortje There are significant signs of Jonny Bairstow. It was between the 6-14 pass, where Delhi won the game as Kuldeep and Axar accumulated just 28 runs in seven passes with four cuts between them.
With this win, DC jumped to 4th place with 14 points from 13 games. Royal Challengers Bangalore (14 from 13 games) had the same score as DC but they were pushed down to fifth place with -0.323 NRR compared to +0.255 for Delhi.
Punjab, who are still in seventh place with 12 points from 13 games, barely count play-offs as they also have a net run rate of -0.043.
Chasing 160 to win, Punjab was knocked out after a good start. Jitesh Sharma (44 out of 34 balls) and Rahul Chahar (25 of 24 balls) hit back late with a 41st position – the highest of their chase – for an eighth but that proved too late.
Punjab begins on a promising note with the form of punishment Jonny Bairstow Khaleel Ahmed and Nortje with four and six to take his side to 27 without a loss at the end of the third round.
But from there, the fall began as the five Punjab hitters returned to the hut one after another as they dropped to five at the end of the eighth.
Bairstow (28 of 15 balls) fell to Nortje in the fourth round before Shrdul Thakur was struggling for two shots – those from Bhanuka Rajapaksa (4) and Shikhar Dhawan (19) – in three balls in the sixth more to change the complexion of the game.
Punjab went 54 for 3 at the end of the game and three balls then Axar Patel claimed his 100th IPL bat with a special ball – it was the Punjab captain’s Mayank Agarwalhead skin.
Mayank (0), who has struggled this season, made a hand cut but it went through the space between the club and the pad to hit the stump in the middle.
There is no respite for Punjab because Liam Livingstone was out of season eight more, confused by Rishabh Pant for Kuldeep’s first wicket.
Kuldeep returned a second time to chase Harpreet Bar (1) with him hitting the wrong hitter before going through the gate to crash into a tree.
It was all over for Punjab then as they were reduced to 68 for 6 points halfway through.
Punjab needs 39 in the last three but David Warner made a good catch from long distance to eliminate Jitesh, ending the game in favor of DC.
Before that, Arshdeep Singh and Livingstone each had three points as Punjab restricted Delhi to 159 for 7.
Marsh adds 51 runs for the first time with Sarfaraz Khan (32) and then 47 runs away from Lalit Yadav (24), after DC lost to David Warner (0) from the first ball of the round.
DC scored with brisk pace after being asked to hit the ball but they collapsed in midfield, losing three points quickly.
It was the Australian Marsh who anchored the DC rounds. He finished his fifty with a touchline at over 17. He hit four four and three six but ran out of partners.
The move to open bowling with Livingstone (3/27) worked as he eliminated Warner, who had ceded caretaker to Rahul Chahar at the back point.
Marsh and Sarfaraz then tried to hold the ship steady. Marsh hit his back six times with a hammer from the beat Kagiso Rabada (1/24), including a loft as Delhi added 15 runs in the second inning.
Sarfaraz was brutal with his left arm orthodox bowler Harpreet Brar (0/29), maxed him out, a tagline sweep and two back-to-back lines, as Delhi took 15 runs in the third inning.
Sarfaraz crossed five boundaries and a six as Delhi ran to the 50 lap mark in more than fifth. But Sarfaraz’s cameo came to an end after he misplaced a left-hand shot to Arshdeep Singh (3/37) while Chahar caught up.
Then Marsh and Lalit mix caution and aggression. In 86/2 place after 10 rounds, the stage was set for a big score.
But Punjab nailed DC, by taking three quick signs and reducing opposition to 112/5.
Promote
First, Arshdeep used his slow attack to eliminate Lalit and then Livingstone sent back Rishabh Pant (7), who was confused by Jitesh Sharma.
Livingstone got his third cane, when he removed Rovman Powell (2). Wickets continuously stumble for Delhi even as Punjab’s pitchers conceded 43 times in the last five rounds.
Topics covered in this article
