MI VS SRH IN MUMBAI AT 6.30PM
KXIP beat DD by 4 runs
NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab scripted a narrow 4-run win over hosts Delhi Daredevils. With this win, KXIP go top of the IPL after overtaking Chennai Super Kings.
DD managed to score only 139 for the loss of eight wickets in reply to KXIP’S 143 for 8.
DD were given a brisk start by Prithvi Shaw. However, he was the first to get out, bowled by Ankit Rajpoot after he had scored a quick-fire 22 off 10 deliveries with the help of 4 hits to the fence. Onedown batsman Glenn Maxwell came and quickly departed after scoring 12 runs. A struggling Gautam Gambhir was claimed by Andrew Tye who had him caught by Aaron Finch when the DD skipper had scored only 4 off 13 balls.
Though Shreyas Iyer went about his job trying to bring back his team on track to reach their winning target of 144, he did not get the desired support from his partners, with the exception of Rahul Tewatia who contributed a patient 24 off 21 balls with the help of a four and a six, to give Delhi some hope. Wickets continued to fall, those of Christian (6) and Plunkett, who got out for a duck. Delhi required 17 runs off the last over. Mujeeb, who came in to bowl the last over, kept his nerve, and though Iyer completed his half century, the latter could not take his team over the finishing line. Iyer’s was the last wicket to fall, claimed by Mujeeb for a well-compiled 57 (45 deliveries, 5x4, 1x6).
KXIP thus won a close match by 4 runs.
Earlier, a disciplined bowling effort by Delhi restricted Punjab to a what seemed a paltry 143/8.
Pacer Liam Plunkett scalped three wickets while Avesh Khan and Trent Boult chipped in with two each. Put into bat, the visitors received the early blow when Avesh dismissed opener Aaron Finch (2) in the second over.
Incoming batter Mayank Agarwal and opener Lokesh Rahul (23) put on a 36-run stand for the second wicket to take Punjab to 42 runs. However, Plunkett put an end to Rahul’s innings.
Agarwal (21) was the next to depart as in-form Plunkett struck again in the eighth over, which left Punjab reeling at 60/3.
Yuvraj Singh got out for 14 to make things worse for the visitors.
Next in Karun Nair however slammed 34 runs to take his team past the 100-run mark before falling to Plunkett.
Delhi’s Daniel Christian then dismissed David Miller (26). Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin (6) and Andrew Tye (3) meant Punjab managed to put on 143, which in the end proved to be enough to give them a well-deserved win.