Delhi Capitals keep playoff hopes alive with five-match win over Gujarat Titans in IPL
Posted Date – Tue, 02 May 23 at 11:45pm
(PTI Photo)
Ahmedabad: Aman Khan’s opening T20 50 was perfectly complemented by the Pacers as Delhi Capitals kept their play-off hopes alive with a five-match win over the Gujarat Titans in the IPL on Tuesday.
Bowling impeccable length, Mohammad Shami (4/11 in four overs) was the deadly new ball as he winded Capitals’ top order as Gujarat Titans put DC after being asked to bowl The limit is 130 eights. Oman (51 for 44) went for a solitary effort, making some much-needed runs around the board. He added 50 off 54 balls for Axar Patel (27) and 53 off 27 balls for Ripal Patel (23).
In response, a solid 50 from Hardik Pandya (53 off 59) and a hat-trick of sixes from Rahul Tewatia (20) were not enough as the Delhi bowlers nervously stopped the defending champions with 6 off 125. It was Delhi’s third win of the season and they remain at the bottom of the table while Gujarat remain at the top. Defending a modest goal, Delhi Fast Break was able to score an early breakthrough as Gujarat conceded three wickets in a power play.
It was a wicket-maiden if “impact player” Khaleel Ahmed (2/24) hit a fine first ball, pace-forward Anrich Nortje (1/39) off the dangerous Shubman Gill (6). Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma (2/23) also joined the party as he beat Vijay Shankar (6) with a perfectly executed knuckleball. The wickets continued to drop as slow bowlers were introduced, with left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1/15) downing David Miller (0) in the seventh over.
Pandya and Abhinav Manohar (26) stabilized the Gujarat boats with 62 runs in the fifth wicket. Tewatia hit three sixes in a row as Pandya ended the penultimate innings. But with the final needing 12, Ishant conceded just six when he took Tewatia’s vital wicket.
Earlier, Delhi suffered another dramatic collapse, conceding five wickets for 23 runs in five overs, and at the center of it all was Shami. The veteran Indian pacer set the tone as he hit the first ball of the game to give Phil Salt the Golden Duck. A terrible mix between young Priyam Garg (10) and skipper David Warner (2) left Derry at the Australian’s wicket in the second over. Rilee Rossouw (No. 8) was right behind him when Shami struck again.
The experienced Indian caused a slight move away from Rossouw. With Delhi three down to 16, the outside let the ball go straight into the glove of goalkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. With Shami opening bowling, captain Hardik Pandya decided to continue bowling and the move paid off. Shami continued his three-point streak in his third game, scoring twice in his final game.
The Indians threw a wobbly seam pitch to lure Manish Pandey (1) off the tee, but late action meant the ball found the edge of the bat and Saha completed a stunning finish One-handed catch and dive to his right. Shami’s final victim of the night was Garg, while Saha pulled off another catch from behind the stump.
With half the team back in the dugout, the Capitals, who were at the bottom of the standings and needed to win this game to stay alive in playoff contention, faltered 28-5 at the end of the Powerplay.
Axar Patel (27), who was promoted to the order, Aman did stop the rot with some much-needed runs, but pacer Mohit Sharma (2/33) broke a 50-run partnership as he grabbed A wicket for the Derry vice-captain.
Oman punished Mohit Sharma in the 16th over, hitting the short three-point line and the boundary of the six as DC approached the 100-run mark. Uncapped Oman brought a much-needed half-century in 41 balls. His innings were littered with three hits that hit the fence and as many at-bats.
