Punjab Kings played against Delhi Capitals in Chandigarh on Saturday, English all-rounder Sam Curran’s counterattacking half-century helped them defeat Delhi Capitals by four wickets. It was not the comeback that Rishabh Pant had hoped for. With four balls remaining, Punjab managed to chase down 175 thanks to a brilliant contribution from fellow countryman Liam Livingstone (38 not out off 21 balls), who blasted his way to a 47-ball 63. This came after Punjab Kings recovered to halt Delhi Capitals at 174 for nine, following the comeback of Pant, who was unable to light the stage on fire.
Abhishek Porel, batting at number nine, led the way for DC with an undefeated 32 off only 10 balls, helping the team to a total that Punjab could not match on a field devoid of demons.
The Punjab Kings started their chase well, reaching 34 in three overs as Shikhar Dhawan (22 off 16 balls) attempted a charge down the wicket but failed, allowing Ishant Sharma to disrupt his middle stump.
Effect Sub Ishant squared up Prabhsimran, who came in at number three, with a pitch that was just the right length, leaving the hitter stunned. In response, Prabhsimran hit a boundary past mid-off, demonstrating his aggressive purpose.
As Jonny Bairstow, having scored two fours in three balls, was attempting to secure runs, he found himself unfortunate as Ishant managed to just touch a Prabhsimran drive before it struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end, leading to Bairstow being run out despite his diving effort, having backed up too far and unable to beat the ball.
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Prabhsimran, who had contributed 27 runs off 17 balls, alleviated pressure by hitting two consecutive fours off Khaleel Ahmed but eventually succumbed to Kuldeep Yadav’s googly after stabilizing Punjab’s innings. Kuldeep further strengthened his grip on the match by dismissing Jitesh Sharma, leaving Punjab in a precarious position at 100 for four in the 12th over.
Earlier, the aggressive Australian opening pair of David Warner (29 off 21 balls) and Mitchell Marsh (20 off 12 balls) immediately put Punjab under pressure with their boundary-laden innings. Marsh capitalized on a loose delivery from Sam Curran for the first boundary of the day and then confidently dispatched another loose ball for a four, setting the tone for Delhi Capitals’ innings.
Warner, not to be outdone, showcased his stroke play by hitting a six off left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and followed it up with a boundary through the cover-point region. Despite the introduction of Kagiso Rabada into the attack, Marsh continued his onslaught with a towering six over deep backward square leg off Arshdeep.
Although Marsh fell to Arshdeep after a well-struck drive, Warner remained undeterred, attacking Rabada for a boundary through mid-off and executing a scoop shot for a maximum over fine leg.
Harpreet Brar’s economical over briefly slowed down the run flow, but Shai Hope initiated a 14-run over against Rahul Chahar with a six and a four.
Harshal Patel struck a crucial blow by dismissing Warner in his first over, bringing Rishabh Pant to the crease amidst cheers from the crowd, acknowledging his resilience after surviving a car accident in December 2022.
Pant managed to find the fence twice before his dismissal, which appeared relatively soft, off Harshal.
Meanwhile, Rabada accounted for Hope, and Chahar removed Tristan Stubbs as Delhi’s innings stumbled to 128/6 by the 16th over.
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