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In the second match of TATA IPL 2024 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Punjab Kings began their campaign with a victory by defeating Delhi Capitals by four wickets.
During the inaugural IPL game at the recently constructed stadium, Sam Curran (63 runs off 47 balls) and Liam Livingstone (38 not out off 21 balls) played pivotal roles in guiding PBKS to a successful chase of 175 runs. This came after a combined effort from the bowlers limited DC to 174/9.
PBKS had a quick start in their pursuit of 175 runs, but lost their opening batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow, during the Powerplay. The pair scored 34 runs in the first three overs, with a strong start of four boundaries in the initial over from Khaleel Ahmed. However, Ishant Sharma was able to take a wicket as he dismissed Dhawan. In the same over, DC lost another wicket as Bairstow was run out after Sharma deflected a straight drive from Prabhsimran Singh, with the replay showing he was short of his crease.
Prabhsimran Singh, a key player, hit two fours in the following over, bringing PBKS’s score to 53/2. In the final over of the Powerplay, DC suffered a setback when Ishant had to exit the field due to a leg injury while fielding a ball. DC maintained a strong defense, resulting in the dismissal of Prabhsimran Singh caught by Kuldeep Yadav at long on. Yadav took another wicket in the next over, with Jitesh Sharma being stumped by Rishabh Pant’s swift hands.
In his last over, Kuldeep had the chance to take another wicket but unfortunately, Stubbs failed to catch Curran at long on while he was at 34 runs.
As the required runs reduced to 63 in 36 balls, Curran and Liam Livingstone increased their pace, striking two fours and a six against Mitchell Marsh in the 15th over to score 18 runs. Curran reached his fifty in 39 deliveries. The partnership between the two players shifted the momentum in favor of PBKS, but Curran was dismissed for 64 (47) in the second-to-last over by Khaleel. The left-arm pacer claimed two wickets in consecutive deliveries, with Shashank Singh caught behind by a bouncer. Khaleel had the chance for a third wicket in the over, but Warner dropped Harpreet Brar at long on off the final ball.
As 6 runs were required in the last 6 balls, Sumit Kumar began with two wide deliveries. Although the third ball was a dot, Livingstone sealed the victory for the home team by hitting a massive six over deep mid-wicket.
In the previous instance, Shikhar Dhawan, the captain of Punjab Kings, won the toss and chose to bowl first. This was a significant occasion for Rishabh Pant, who returned to the field after a near-fatal road accident on December 30th, 2022.
The Delhi Capitals began their innings with an attacking approach, but suffered an early setback with the dismissal of Mitchell Marsh. David Warner and Marsh combined for a total of three fours and three sixes, displaying some strong hitting in their 39-run partnership. However, Arshdeep Singh managed to get rid of Marsh after he had just hit a six in the previous ball of the fourth over.
Warner did not let up and managed to score DC’s fifty with a powerful four and an impressive scooped six off Rabada in the following over. At the end of the Powerplay, DC had reached 54/1. Warner and Shai Hope maintained the momentum with a 35-run partnership off 28 balls, but Harshal Patel changed the pace of the game by taking a crucial wicket. He caught David Warner behind with a bouncer and after a successful review.
As Rishabh Pant took to the crease, he received a warm welcome with a standing ovation and enthusiastic applause.
The scoreboard continued to increase thanks to Hope’s efforts, but as a new small partnership was forming, Rabada returned and successfully got rid of Hope (33 off 25) in the 11th over.
The bowlers Harshal Patel and Kagiso Rabada have been successful in taking wickets, as Delhi Capitals have lost their top three players. Catch the live match on JioCinema and StarSportsIndia on your laptop or phone.
The game took a turn when Patel took another wicket two overs later, getting Pant (18 off 13) out at backward point. Additionally, Harpreet Brar’s excellent review resulted in Ricky Bhui being caught behind in the following over. By the 14th over, half of DC’s team had been dismissed. Tristan Stubbs also didn’t have a long innings as he was caught impressively at wide long off by Shashank Singh off Rahul Chahar’s delivery.
Within the span of five overs, DC experienced a significant shift from a score of 94 for 2 to 128 for 6. As the innings progressed, the team continued to lose wickets, including Axar Patel who had a promising start with a quick 20 runs off 12 balls, but was eventually run out in the 18th over.
Abishek Porel was brought in by DC as their Impact Player to replace Ricky Bhui. In a crucial moment, Porel played a key role in the late stage of the game and contributed a remarkable 32 runs off just 10 balls, helping DC to reach a total of 174/9. Porel’s impressive performance included hitting 4, 6, 4, 4, 6 in the final over, resulting in 25 runs being added to the score.
In the final over of the first innings, PBKS announced Prabhsimran Singh as their designated Impact Player.
