Delhi Capitals (DC) put in an all-round performance to beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 19 runs in their final group match of IPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on Tuesday.
Abishek Porel top-scored for us with 58 off just 33 balls hitting four sixes and five fours whereas Tristan Stubbs dazzled with an unbeaten 25-ball 57 scoring four sixes and three fours to take us to 208/4 in 20 overs. Naveen-ul-Haq took 2/51 as Arshad Khan and Ravi Bishnoi took a wicket apiece.
Ishant Sharma led from the front with an incisive bowling display up front to pick 3/34 in his four overs to restrict LSG to 189/9 in the chase. Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav took a wicket each as Nicholas Pooran and Arshad Khan scored half-centuries for LSG.
In the evening, LSG skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to field first. Our skipper Rishabh Pant and Gulbadin Naib came back into the team in place of Kumar Kushagra and Ishant Sharma respectively.
We did not have an ideal start as our star opener Jake Fraser-McGurk was dismissed on the second ball of the innings. But, Abishek Porel took over the mantle and gave us an excellent start. The southpaw hit six and three fours in the third over to set the ball rolling for us.
Shai Hope joined along as he carted 16 runs in the next over including a six and two fours as we crossed 50 in just the fourth over. The Capitals ended the powerplay on a high as we reached 73/1 after the first six overs.
Porel brought up his fifty in the eighth over, his second in three matches, off just 21 balls. But, just as the second-wicket partnership grew to 92 runs, Shai Hope was caught at covers by Rahul and he departed for 38.
Soon, Porel also got out after making 58 with Tristan Stubbs joining our captain in the middle. Meanwhile, Pant found gaps effectively to score boundaries all over as the Capitals moved to 132/3 after 14 overs, setting the game up nicely for a good finish.
Stubbs switched gears and brought out his death-overs expertise smashing a six and two fours off Arshad Khan as we went past 150. Unfortunately, Pant left at the wrong time trying to fasten the scoring rate, after making 33 off 23 balls.
But Stubbs was still out there hitting boundaries for fun. He notched 21 runs in the penultimate over, including two majestic sixes over long-on and extra cover to bring up his fifty off just 22 balls.
Axar Patel played his part scoring 14 off 10 balls as the pair added an unbeaten 50 off just 22 balls. A stunning display of power-hitting from Stubbs towards the end helped us cross the 200-run mark and set LSG a target of 209.
Impact Sub Ishant Sharma got us to a dream start as he sent back LSG captain KL Rahul in the first over, caught by Mukesh Kumar at cover. Our experienced pacer struck again to dismiss LSG’s other opener Quinton de Kock for 12 with a slower delivery.
Our skipper introduced Axar as early as the fourth over and he responded in style deceiving Marcus Stoinis in the air, with Pant making no mistake behind the stumps. Ishant Sharma, bowling his third over on the trot, rolled back the years, trapping Deepak Hooda in front for his third wicket of the night, reducing LSG to 44/4.
Stubbs was not done for the night yet as he returned to bowl after his quickfire innings. For a third time in our bowling essay, a bowler picked up a wicket in his first over as Stubbs struck. Ayush Badoni trying to go big was caught by Gulbadin Naib at long off as LSG slid to 71/5.
Nicholas Pooran waged a lone battle for LSG as he hit a 20-ball fifty though he was running out of partners at the other end. But Axar Patel took a stunning catch off Mukesh Kumar’s bowling to dismiss the dangerous Pooran.
There was some late resistance and fightback from LSG with Arshad Khan scoring a quickfire half-century, taking them close to the target. But, we kept our nerve to close out our league stage with a win at Qila Kotla.
An excellent 19th over from our Mukesh Kumar giving away just six runs, along with a brilliant piece of fielding in the deep from Fraser-McGurk was the turning point, as we beat LSG and remained in contention for a playoff spot.
With this win, DC are currently fifth in the IPL 2024 points table with 14 points from 14 matches with a net run rate of -0.377.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 208/4 in 20 overs (Abishek Porel 58, Tristan Stubbs 57*, Naveen-ul-Haq 2/51, Ravi Bishnoi 1/26) beat Lucknow Super Giants 189/9 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 61, Arshad Khan 58*, Ishant Sharma 3/34, Tristan Stubbs 1/4) by 19 runs.
Player of the Match: Ishant Sharma.
