Another Dhawan masterclass helps Capitals outshine Kings
After a solid 85 versus CSK, Dhawan hits 92 off 49 against Punjab, stakes claim as leading India opener
NEW DELHI: Shikhar Dhawan has a lot to prove in this IPL. Not that at 35, the “Gabbar” of Indian cricket needs to rediscover his game but the stakes are higher this time following some recent developments. Despite being the only senior left-handed T20 opener with enough experience, Dhawan has been officially declared the back-up option in the Indian T20I setup. The overwhelming presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s decision to promote himself to the top of the order mean that Dhawan is fighting to make a place for himself in the XI when the T20 World Cup starts in India, six months from now.
His quest began in right earnest with a 54-ball 85 in Delhi
Capitals’ opener against Chennai Super Kings. It got even better on Sunday evening as Dhawan unleashed an array of shots to gallop to 92 off just 49 balls (13x4s, 2x6s) in a 196-run chase against Punjab Kings. Courtesy the Dhawan-show, Delhi reached the target in 18.2 overs.
With a younger partner in Prithvi Shaw (32, 17b) for company, Dhawan waited till the fifth over to come fully to the party. Once he top edged one over short fine-leg off Mohamemd Shami, there was no stopping him. The most striking aspect of Dhawan’s innings was that he rarely took the aerial route. He has always been strong on the off-side, but on Sunday he found the gaps regularly on the on-side too. The width on offer by Punjab bowlers early was duly punished as Dhawan reached the half-century mark in 31 balls. It included eight fours.
Dhawan’s first six came right after that as he deposited Jhye Richardson over deep square-leg in the 10th over. Dhawan’s start left Delhi needing 97 off the last 60 balls. They got to the target even earlier. The 14th over by Riley Meredith tilted the scales in Delhi’s favour. Three straight boundaries off the first three balls beating fine-leg, then point and the third at deep square-leg meant Delhi were cruising. Dhawan departed in the next over but by then Delhi needed just 44 off 30 balls. A 20-run 17th over by Shami where Marcus Stoinis hit him for a six over long-on and two fours made it a formality from there on.
It has been a season of batting paradoxes for Punjab so far. They dashed to 221 in the first game and then collapsed on 106 in the second. Sunday evening looked every bit a run fest right from the start. Punjab had their best opening stand of the season with KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal adding 122 runs off 77 balls. Both scored half-centuries. Then, late cameos from Shahrukh Khan and Deepak Hooda ensured they fell just five runs short of the 200-mark. It was not enough on a Wankhede pitch that helped the batsmen.
While Punjab captain Rahul would be right in assessing that his bowlers let Delhi’s openers off the hook in the powerplay, he himself has to share part of the blame. Yes, he scored his 23rd IPL half-century but took 45 balls in the process. He ended on 61 off 51 balls. That Punjab still managed to put up such a big total was because Agarwal shook off his lean patch. While Rahul rode on the two lives offered by Delhi’s sloppy catching, Agarwal blew hot with four sixes and seven fours.
He started the attack against IPL debutant pacer Lukman Meriwala in the second over and continued to find the gaps against the veteran Chris Woakes too. Agarwal has fallen off the radar of the national team in white ball but against Delhi, he made sure he was noticed. While Rahul was struggling to accelerate, Agarwal was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Due to his early blows, Punjab reached 59/0 in powerplay.
He was efficient against the off-spin of Ravichandran Ashwin, hauling him over long-off in the ninth over, while being equally ruthless against Avesh
Khan. Agarwal hooked Khan, Delhi’s best pacer so far in the tournament, for a four in the 10th to complete his half-century in 25 balls. The best however came against Kagiso Rabada with two straight sixes in the 11th over – one flying over long-off and other travelling all the way above fine-leg.
Finally, the brakes were applied by Meriwala in the 13th over as Agarwal (69, 36b) could not slice a wide delivery and was caught by Dhawan. Punjab were 122/1 then in 12.4 overs. Before the 17th over was completed, Rahul and Chris Gayle too departed with Punjab yet to cross the 160-mark. But thanks to Hooda (22, 13b) and Shahrukh (15, 5b) they crossed 190.
Brief scores: Punjab Kings 195/4 (KL Rahul 61, Mayank Agarwal 69). Delhi Capitals 198/4 in 18.2 ovs (Prithvi Shaw 32, Shikhar Dhawan 92). DC won by 6 wkts.