IN-FORM PUNJAB KINGS DOWN DAREDEVILS
Ashwin-led KXIP defeat Delhi by four runs
New Delhi, April 23: A heavily-rejigged Delhi Daredevils produced a much-improved bowling performance to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 143 for eight in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.
In reply, Delhi fell short by four runs, finishing at 139/8 in 20 overs. Shreyas Iyer, with 57, was the top scorer for the hosts.
Opting to field after winning the toss, Delhi Daredevils quickly snuffed out the wicket of Aaron Finch through Avesh Khan.
Entering the game as a beleaguered unit, the bottom-placed Daredevils made as many as five changes, including handing out IPL debuts to Liam Plunkett and the young Prithvi Shaw.
And what a debut it turned out to be for Plunkett, who returned terrific figures of 3/17 in his full quota of four overs. Trent Boult (2/21) and Avesh Khan (2/36) had two wickets apiece.
KIXP batsmen got the starts but could not go to make big scores, with Karun Nair emerging as the top-scorer with 34 off 32 balls.
The move to make many changes worked as the hosts managed to keep the in-form Kings XI Punjab to a modest total. The rampaging Chris Gayle was forced to sit out the game due to a sore back and his absence was certainly felt by Kings XI Punjab.
Despite missing their big-hitting opener and losing and early wicket, Kings XI Punjab did well to 42 in 4.3 overs when the inform K L Rahul was dismissed. Playing in his maiden IPL game, Plunkett impressed on this occasion as he foxed Rahul with a slower off-cutter, handing Delhi the momentum with the big wicket at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium.
The Kotla was packed but one of the stands, which failed to meet SDMC norms, wore a deserted look. Before Rahul’s dismissal meanwhile, Khan banged one short and Finch’s miscued pull went to Shreyas Iyer.
The six powerplay overs yielded 51 runs for Kings XI Punjab for the loss of two wickets.
It wasn’t a very bad start as far as net run rate was concerned, but KXIP suffered another blow, as Englishman Plunkett uprooted Mayank Agarwal’s stumps after beating him for pace.
The KXIP franchise struggled to accelerate after losing its top three, even as Daredevils sought to keep the pressure on the visitors. — PTI