Delhi Capitals (DC) kept their hopes alive in qualifying for the play-offs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after beating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 16. An all-round bowling effort from the Delhi franchise that saw them restrict Punjab under 159, to claim a 17-run win. Shardul Thakur was the star performer for his side, picking up four wickets for 36.
Thakur, who has been in and out of the playing XI, credited his subtle change-up in bowling that enabled him to pick wickets throughout the match.
According to Indian Express, Thakur explained, “There was difference in both the side boundaries, but there was dew and it was humid, so I felt they could hit a six on the bigger side (boundary). So the better idea was to mix up deliveries and confuse the batter. Along with the knuckleball, use an off-cutter for a left-hander, then seam-up, slow-bouncer or bouncer or use the hard length.”
The all-rounder also lauded the efforts of his bowling partners, who kept chipping away wickets at crucial junctures. “…the scenario was completely different. Yes, if there was no dew 160 would have been a great score, but with dew coming in after 12 overs and probably eight overs in the end, they (Punjab) could have used the dew factor to their advantage if they had wickets in hand. But credit goes to our bowling unit that we kept on taking wickets and at the same time the chase kept getting bigger and bigger for them,” he added.
He was well supported by Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who scalped two wickets apiece, while Anrich Nortje picked one. The Palghar-born picked up wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksha, Jitesh Sharma, and Kagiso Rabada.
Talking about Delhi’s journey so far, he said that the franchise had not gained much momentum at the start but have definitely picked up the pace in the business end. “We didn’t get the momentum in the starting matches but we still aren]t out of the race (to make the play-offs) and today’s win was a big win. We have a match on 21st (May) and let’s see how it goes,” the 30-year-old said.
The Rishabh Pant-led side will meet Mumbai Indians (MI) in their last match on May 21 in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. They are currently fourth in the table with 14 points, just ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on run-rate superiority.