In a thrilling contest at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious by 19 runs against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. On an ideal batting surface, DC posted a formidable total of 208, courtesy of a collective team effort. Despite a spirited fightback by a couple of LSG batters, DC’s bowlers maintained their composure, securing two crucial points in the league.
Winning the toss, LSG opted to field first, a decision that seemed to pay off immediately. In the opening over, Arshad Khan dismissed the dangerous Jake Fraser-McGurk, who attempted to clear the boundary but ended up skying it to long-on, where he was caught.
The early breakthrough put DC on the backfoot, but Abishek Porel launched a counter-attack with an entertaining and aggressive display of batting. In the following overs, Porel exhibited his class, belting an upper-cut for six off Mohsin Khan in the second over. He continued his onslaught in Arshad’s next over, accumulating 21 runs with a six and three fours, including a magnificent cover-drive. Shai Hope joined the fray, contributing to a 16-run over off Yudhvir Singh in the fourth. DC closed the powerplay strongly, thanks to a 17-run over by Naveen-ul-Haq, where Porel executed a flat-six over fine-leg.
After the powerplay, the run rate slowed slightly. Hope (38 off 27 balls) delivered a six off Ravi Bishnoi down the ground but succumbed when he attempted a cover shot, only to be caught by KL Rahul, who fumbled initially but secured the catch on the second attempt. During this period, Porel reached his fifty off just 21 balls. LSG managed to reclaim some control by dismissing Porel for 58 in the 12th over, dealing a significant blow to DC.
As the innings progressed, Tristan Stubbs (57 not out off 25 balls) took charge, initially rebuilding the innings with Rishabh Pant (33 off 23 balls). Pant played characteristically, attempting several leg-side shots and entertaining the crowd with five boundaries. Notably, he carved a four through third-man off Naveen-ul-Haq despite the bat slipping out of his hands. Pant’s innings ended in the 17th over.
Stubbs’s resilience propelled DC beyond the 200-run mark. By the 15th over, DC stood at 136 for three, when Stubbs launched an attack on Arshad, hitting a six and two fours. The final three overs saw DC score a brisk 45 runs, with the penultimate over yielding 21 runs.
. Stubbs reached his fifty off just 22 balls with a six off Naveen. This late surge lifted DC to an imposing 208 for four.
LSG’s run chase encountered early turbulence, courtesy of veteran bowler Ishant Sharma, who delivered a remarkable spell in the powerplay, claiming three crucial wickets. He began by luring Rahul into skying a catch to cover, followed by Quinton de Kock’s dismissal in the third over, caught at mid-on. Axar Patel bowled the fourth over, immediately stumping Marcus Stoinis. Reduced to 24 for three, LSG found themselves in a precarious position when Nicholas Pooran entered the fray.
Pooran commenced his innings aggressively, targeting the leg-side boundaries. Although Axar bagged a wicket with his first ball, Pooran’s counter-attack yielded 20 runs off the over, including two fours and two sixes. Ishant struck again, trapping Deepak Hooda leg-before on the first ball of the next over. Despite scoring 59 runs in the powerplay, LSG lost four wickets, with Pooran rapidly reaching 32 off 11 balls.
Pooran continued to find boundaries, keeping LSG’s hopes alive even as Ayush Badoni was dismissed. Pooran raced to his fifty off just 20 balls, becoming the focal point of LSG’s aspirations. However, their momentum suffered a major setback when Pooran was brilliantly caught by Axar off Mukesh Kumar in the 12th over, leaving LSG at 101 for six, with DC seemingly on track for victory.
Nonetheless, T20 cricket is known for its unexpected twists. Arshad breathed new life into LSG’s chase with a fearless display, targeting the boundaries, especially down the ground, and rapidly advancing to a 25-ball fifty. Supported by a brief cameo from Yudhvir Singh, who scored 14 with a six and four, Arshad’s power-hitting revived LSG’s chances.
Heading into the final two overs, LSG needed 29 runs but had only two wickets in hand. Mukesh Kumar and Rasikh Salam delivered under pressure, restricting Arshad and preventing any boundaries in the last two overs. DC’s disciplined bowling ensured there would be no heartbreak, sealing their win and moving to the fifth spot on the points table. DC now hopes for favorable outcomes in other matches to secure a place in the Playoffs.