The Delhi Capitals began their Indian Premier
Kings XI Punjab lose two wickets in last two balls; Rabada sets up DC win with twin strike in tie-breaker
League 2020 campaign on Sunday with a thrilling win over Kings XI Punjab as the match went into Super Over after the teams finished on an identical 157 for 8. KXIP needed one off three balls with Mayank Agarwal batting on 89, but couldn’t get over the line as Capitals paceman Marcus Stoinis struck twice in the final two deliveries to push the match into Super Over. It was then over to Kagiso Rabada, who got two wickets in three balls to end the KXIP mini-innings on an easily gettable two.
NEW DELHI: Mohammed Shami is proof that if you are really good at your craft, there is no need to reinvent the game every time to fit the format. The India pace bowler has demonstrated that through his career.
IPL had not been a great ally though as Shami has cut a peripheral figure with 21 wickets from six seasons while fitness issues in particular had plagued the bowler. All that changed last season after he was bought for ₹4.8 crore by Kings XI Punjab. Shami finished as the highest wicket-taker for the team with 19 scalps from 14 games.
On Sunday, Shami once again showed his class. There had been video clips of his training in his backyard during the lockdown, and the famed rhythm of the bowler was there to see. The result was KXIP rattling Delhi Capitals in their first game of IPL 13 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The stadium was empty, but figuratively it was silenced after talk of pacers biting the dust on the UAE pitches. Shami ensured that with a 3/15, his best spell in IPL. Opener Mayank Agarwal dug in to hit a 60-ball 89, only for Delhi Capitals to take wickets off the last two balls to tie the game and force a Super Over.
Super Over
In the Super Over, DC pacer Kagiso Rabada struck twice off successive balls to end KXIP’s innings in three deliveries. Capitals scored the three runs, winthe ning with three balls to spare.
Many players had a point to prove. KL Rahul, in his first IPL game as skipper was up against Shreyas Iyer’s leadership with Rishabh Pant comparisons not far away. In the end, it was a game decided by impetuous hitting by batsmen on both sides on a pitch that called for patience and focus on shot-selection, making it a topsy-turvy affair.
KL Rahul elected to bowl and Chris Gayle, the man made for T20 cricket but a day short of his 41st birthday was left out with younger batsmen, and sharper fielders, preferred.
Shami was sharp, and found the DC top-order obliging. He got Shikhar Dhawan to nick, and though Rahul grassed it, the batsman was run out going for a non-existent single. On a pitch where the ball gripped a bit, Shami used the short ball to telling effect. Prithvi Shaw and Shimron Hetmyer both tried to hit out and Capitals were down to 13/3. Rishabh Pant and skipper Shreyas Iyer prevented a washout, but fell trying to push the score.
Off-spinner K Gowtham leaked runs, but young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was impressive and sneaked through Pant’s defence. Shami returned for his final over and got Shreyas caught first ball mistiming a slower delivery.
The platform had been set and Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis cashed in. Coming from the limited-overs series in England, he showed his touch. Stoinis came in to bat in the 15th over and blasted 53 off 21 balls, taking 30 runs off Chris Jordan’s tame last over. DC had shelled out R4.8 crore for Stoinis in the last auctions, and he underlined his value.
Brief scores: DC 157/8 (S Iyer 39, M Stoinis 53; Mohd Shami 3/15, S Cottrell 2/24) vs KXIP 157/8 (M Agarwal 89; K Rabada 2/28, R Ashwin 2/2). DC won in Super Over.