Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a crucial 19-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-stakes encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. On a batting-friendly surface, DC managed to post an impressive total of 208, thanks to a comprehensive team effort. Despite a valiant fightback by some LSG batters, DC’s bowlers held their ground and ensured the team bagged two vital points.
Winning the toss, LSG opted to bowl 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 in typical fashion but only succeeded in skying the ball to long-on, where it was safely caught.
This early breakthrough seemed to put DC on the backfoot, but Abishek Porel quickly turned the tide with a spirited counter-attack. In the following overs, Porel exhibited his batting prowess with a series of delightful strokes. The highlight was an upper-cut for six off Mohsin Khan in the second over. The momentum of the game shifted dramatically in the next over, with Porel smashing 21 runs off Arshad’s bowling, featuring a massive six and three boundaries—the standout being a splendid cover drive. As Yudhvir Singh stepped into the attack in the fourth over, he faced similar treatment, conceding 16 runs as Shai Hope joined the onslaught. DC ended the powerplay with a bang, scoring 17 runs off Naveen-ul-Haq, including a flat-six over fine-leg by Porel who connected brilliantly with a delivery down the leg side.
As the powerplay concluded, the scoring rate dipped slightly. Shai Hope (38 off 27 balls) managed to strike Ravi Bishnoi for a six, but his attempt to clear covers again ended in a catch by KL Rahul, who managed to hold on at the second attempt. During this period, Porel reached his half-century from just 21 balls, but LSG staged a comeback by dismissing Porel for 58 in the 12th over, which was a significant blow to DC.
The innings then saw Tristan Stubbs (57 not out off 25 balls) take charge, initially rebuilding with Rishabh Pant (33 off 23 balls). Pant’s innings featured typical leg-side flicks and five exquisite boundaries, thrilling the crowd each time. He was eventually dismissed in the 17th over. Stubbs’ formidable batting played a crucial role in propelling DC past the 200-run mark. At 136 for three after 15 overs, Stubbs unleashed an assault on Arshad, hitting a six and two fours.
. The final three overs saw DC amass 45 runs, with the penultimate over going for 21 as Stubbs got to his half-century off 22 balls with a six off Naveen. This final flourish took DC to a formidable total of 208 for four.
LSG’s response to the challenging target was shaky early on, with veteran Ishant Sharma delivering a masterclass in the powerplay. He dismissed KL Rahul by inducing a mistimed shot to cover, had Quinton de Kock caught at mid-on in the third over, and saw Marcus Stoinis stumped off Axar Patel’s first ball in the fourth over. At 24 for three, LSG was in deep trouble as Nicholas Pooran arrived at the crease.
Pooran began aggressively, targeting the leg-side boundaries. Despite Axar’s initial success, Pooran plundered 20 runs off the over, including two sixes and two fours. However, Ishant Sharma’s persistence paid off again as he trapped Deepak Hooda leg-before off the first ball of the subsequent over. LSG had amassed 59 runs in the powerplay but lost four wickets, with Pooran racing to 32 off just 11 balls.
Pooran continued to find boundaries regularly, even as Ayush Badoni was dismissed, racing to a quickfire fifty off 20 balls and providing LSG with a glimmer of hope. Nevertheless, their comeback was dealt a severe blow when Pooran was brilliantly caught by Axar Patel at cover off Mukesh Kumar’s bowling in the 12th over, leaving LSG at 101 for six.
Despite the precarious situation, Arshad injected life back into LSG’s chase with a fearless counter-attack, targeting the boundaries with a series of powerful shots. He moved to a half-century off 25 balls, with support from Yudhvir Singh (14), who contributed a crucial six and a four. Arshad’s inspiring performance left LSG needing 29 runs off the last two overs with just two wickets in hand.
However, DC’s bowlers, Mukesh Kumar and Rasikh Salam, held their composure in the tense final moments. They managed to keep Arshad quiet and didn’t allow any boundaries in the last two overs, sealing a significant win for DC. This victory propelled DC to fifth place on the points table, although they will need favorable results from other matches to secure a spot in the Playoffs.
The win not only brought joy to the home crowd but also kept DC’s playoff hopes alive in the tightly contested IPL 2024 season.