It proved to be a relatively easy run-chase for the Delhi Capitals as they won the 11th encounter of Vivo IPL 14 by 6 wickets to go second in the points table. The Punjab Kings bowlers were all over the place and never managed to hold their nerves against a brilliant knock from Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw continued his stunning run in the IPL and his knock of 91 eventually proved to be the game-changer.
Chasing a target of 196 was not going to be an easy task. DC required a flying start and that was provided by Prithvi Shaw and from there on it was Shikhar Dhawan who took the onus on himself to do the job for his team. Despite his dismissal towards the fag end of the match, Marcu Stoinis held his nerves and made sure DC reach the target with 10 deliveries to spare.
Rishabh Pant’s decision to bowl first worked perfectly despite DC not being at their best. When your team is winning despite not performing to their best means the team is in really good stead and they have match-winners in their ranks. The 17th over from Mohammed Shami totally tilted the scales in favour of DC as he bowled two no-balls which cost Punjab dearly.
After batting first, the Punjab Kings got off to a blazing start courtesy Mayank Agarwal. He had a disdainful approach against all the DC bowlers and while his partner Rahul was not looking at his fluent best, Mayank kept pounding the agony on the DC bowlers. His whirlwind knock of 67 of 36 deliveries included some delightful shots and set the tone for Punjab.
KL Rahul could only muster 61 of 51 deliveries where he should have atleast scored 15 more facing that many deliveries. Towards the fag end of the innings, it was Deepak Hooda and Shahrukh Khan who gave a much-needed impetus which eventually got them to a score of 195. The position they were in, a score of 220 was always on the cards but some fine bowling by the DC bowlers prevented them from going past the 200 mark.
Mayank Agarwal
Despite their defeat, Punjab Kings will gain heart from the fact that Mayank Agarwal played a stunning knock. He could have proved to be the game-changer had Punjab finished off well with the bat and had the bowlers held their nerves in crucial junctures.
Agarwal was dropped from the Indian Test XI in Australia after two poor outings. His technique was questioned by the pundits and he needed to prove his worth in any team he plays. After having a sensational season with the bat last season, Mayank Agarwal finally made his presence felt in the 11th encounter of the competition.
After being put in to bat, Punjab Kings got off to a flying start on the back of a special knock from Mayank Agarwal. He was quite magnificent in his strokeplay and some of his shots especially against the likes of Kagiso Rabada oozed class and confidence.
His knock of 69 came in a mere 36 deliveries and was laced with 7 hits to the fence and four sixes. He was never troubled by any of the bowlers and looked like playing on a different pitch in comparison with Rahul. After a partnership of 122 runs in the 13th over, Mayank Agarwal had to depart but the start which he gave set the tone perfectly. However, Punjab Kings couldn’t capitalise and could only muster 195 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.
Shikhar Dhawan
Dhawan is making a strong case for himself for a comeback in the T20 national squad. The southpaw after having a sensational time with the bat in 2020 is now carrying on the rich vein of form even in this tournament. After some impressive knocks in the first two encounters, Dhawan finally made a match-winning impact as DC chased the stiff target of 196 down with 10 deliveries to spare.
Chasing a target close of 200 is never easy in T20 cricket and for that to materialise, DC needed to get off to a brisk yet steady start. Both Prithvi Shaw and Dhawan looked in sublime touch as DC got off to a flying start. Shaw blazed his way to 32 of a mere 17 deliveries and the start proved to be just what the doctor had ordered for the Capitals.
Dhawan never looked in any discomfort what so ever. His ferocious cuts and pulls consistently came from the centre of the bat and the Punjab Kings bowlers failed to contain the super knock from the southpaw. The last few innings have seen a huge array of shots from Dhawan and today was no different.
Quite often Dhawan moved across the off stump and played the field to perfection and helped it around the fine leg region for boundaries. He never bludgeoned his way during his knock of 91 and played proper cricketing shots. Eventually, the shot which yielded him runs brought about his downfall as Jhye Richardson managed to sneak through his defence and disturb the timbers.
Marcus Stoinis
The Australian all-rounder turned out to be a utility player for the Capitals last season and once again he proved his worth as a finisher with a breezy knock of 27 of just 12 deliveries. It was a difficult pick especially given the fact Prithvi Shaw also played an important knock but in the end, Stoinis’ knock proved to be just a bit more impactful.
When Shikhar Dhawan departed at the score of 152, Delhi Capitals still needed 44 more to win from 31 deliveries. Things could have got a bit tricky had Marcus Stoinis not stepped in. He was helped by some loose deliveries which he made full use of and in the end helped the Capitals chase the target down with 10 deliveries left.
Stoinis stuck into Mohammed Shami in the 17th over where the fast bowler bowled two no-balls and Stoinis made full use of both the no-balls and the free hits. 19 runs came from that over and that was the final nail in the coffin for the Punjab Kings. Stonis eventually remained unbeaten on 27 of just 12 deliveries which included three fours and a six and got DC over the finishing line in the penultimate over.
KL Rahul
It was not a straightforward pick to be honest but given how the match panned out, it is a fair assumption to include KL Rahul as a flop in the match. Despite scoring yet another half-century, Rahul’s knock lacked intent and eventually cost his team.
Even last year, Rahul played the role of a sheet-anchor for Punjab and despite finishing as the leading run-getter of the tournament last year his strike rate was questionable at times. Even in this encounter against the Capitals, Rahul was not at his fluent best. Despite Mayank Agarwal getting off to a blazing start, Rahul could never get the boundaries on a consistent basis as Punjab Kings failed to capitalise on the start provided by the former.
In T20 cricket, a set batsman should always get the job done for his team. Scoring 61 of 51 deliveries is just not good enough in the modern context of the game. A strike rate of 119 till the 51st delivery can only be justified if you press on the accelerator in the final few overs and get your side to a big total. But with Rahul that wasn’t the case as he perished after occupying the crease till the 16th over. He was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada in a bid to play a big shot.
Mohammed Shami
He is one of the finest fast bowlers from the current crop of Indian pacers but Shami will surely want to forget this day. The speedster had a torrid time as he was smashed all around the park by the Delhi Capitals batsmen.
Right from the word go, Shami faltered in his line and lengths and was taken apart by both Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan. While he conceded 11 runs in his opening over, it was followed by a 14 runs over where Dhawan took him to the cleaners.
He was brought back for the 14th over and that was the only over which proved to be tidy. He conceded just 8 runs and the captain trusted him by giving him the 17th over. However, he couldn’t justify his captain’s call and ended up conceding 19 runs which included two no-balls.
Marcus Stoinis took him to the cleaners making full use of the freebies offered by Shami. Eventually, Shami ended up conceding 53 runs in his 4 overs spell. He also made a meal of a difficult catch in the 18th over and never looked in good space of mind. He needs to get his act right and come back stronger in the next encounter.