Punjab Kings (PBKS) suffered a setback in its quest for securing a Qualifier 1 spot after a six-wicket loss at the hands of Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Saturday.
Karun Nair’s anchoring innings of 44 and Sameer Rizvi’s 25-ball 58 helped the side chase down the 207-run target with three balls to spare.
Impact Player K.L. Rahul and captain Faf du Plessis ensured that the Capitals got a quick start in the chase, combining for a 50-run stand within five overs. Both batters fell in successive overs, leaving Karun and Sediqullah Atal to rebuild from scratch.
AS IT HAPPENED – PBKS vs DC
The Afghan batter had an eventful IPL debut, launching two sixes and surviving two dropped chances before being dismissed for a 16-ball 22 by PBKS debutant Pravin Dubey.
Karun collected four boundaries in four balls against Dubey, ensuring the Capitals’ chase did not concede momentum. Despite losing his experienced partner five overs from the end, Rizvi continued his penchant for boundaries to see his team across the line.
Earlier, after opting to bowl first, the DC bowlers stuck to a back-of-a-length approach, pinning down both Kings’ openers. Mustafizur Rahman (three for 33) removed Priyansh Arya early, inducing an edge on his hoick across the line.
Josh Inglis collected a few quick runs by using horizontal bat shots to counter the lengths employed, but was stumped out while charging leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam. Prabhsimran Singh survived a few false shots during the initial phase of play but was eventually castled by Nigam while attempting a ramp shot.
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer after scoring a half century during the IPL T20 Match at the Sawai Man Singh Cricket Stadium in Jaipur.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY RV/The Hindu
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer after scoring a half century during the IPL T20 Match at the Sawai Man Singh Cricket Stadium in Jaipur.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY RV/The Hindu
Shreyas Iyer (53, 34b, 5×4, 2×6) ensured that the run rate hovered over the nine, with his take down of spin, bringing up his fifth half-century of the season in the process. Du Plessis’s ploy to bring back the opening bowlers paid immediate dividends, with both Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh falling cheaply.
Marcus Stoinis (44 n.o., 16b, 3×4, 4×6) ensured the innings clicked back into gear with some brutal hits. The Australian batter took down Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma for 20-plus runs in their final overs. Despite Kuldeep Yadav picking up two wickets while conceding just three in the eighteenth, Stoinis ensured that the team went past the 200-run mark, which proved inadequate.
