Mohali: Kings XI Punjab clinched their third win of VIVO IPL 2019 when they defeated the Delhi Capitals by 14 runs on Monday evening. Given the opportunity of setting a target on their home ground, Kings XI Punjab posted 166-9 and then bowled out visitors for 152. The Delhi Capitals were in control of their run-chase, when Sam Curran returned for a second spell and turned the match on its head; the left-arm pacer picked up 4 wickets for 4 runs — which included a hat-trick — to polish off the Delhi Capitals’ lower order. The win would be KXIP’s sixth consecutive win at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
The dramatic shift of balance happened when Rishabh Pant gave the hosts the opening they were searching for.
When Pant was dismissed, Delhi Capitals needed 23 runs from 20 balls with 6 wickets remaining. The visitors pressed the self-destruct button at that stage, lost a flurry of wickets and allowed Kings XI Punjab to wrest control of the match. From 144-3, the Delhi Capitals slumped to 152 all out.
After Ravichandran Ashwin had Prithvi Shaw caught behind off the first ball of the run-chase, the Delhi Capitals’ chase was put back on course — thanks to two partnerships; Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer added 61runs for the second wicket, and Rishabh Pant and Colin Ingram stitched together a 62-run partnership for the fourth wicket that took their team to the brink. And then the dramatic collapse that cost the Delhi Capitals the match.
Earlier in the evening, Kings XI Punjab’s middle order rescued the team and helped them to a competitive total. Put in to bat, the hosts got off to a brisk start but lost the top three within the eighth over. KL Rahul struck two crisp boundaries and collected one pulled six before being trapped LBW by a sharp inswinger, Sam Curran — a surprising choice for opener in place of Chris Gayle — was LBW to Sandeep Lamicchane’s leg-spin, while Mayank Agarwal was run out at the non-striker’s end taking off for a non-existent run.
Sarfaraz Khan and David Miller added 62 runs for the fourth wicket in what would be the biggest partnership of the innings, while Mandeep Singh (29 not out from 21 balls) provided the end-overs flourish. KXIP lost a bit of momentum in the final five overs when they lost five wickets; yet they finished with a total of 166-9.
Standout batting performance
Sarfaraz Khan’s innings of 39 had a mixture of some effortless strokes and one audacious scoop over the wicket-keeper’s head. Sarfaraz walked out to bat at number four and raced to 35 from 23 balls. He then took the foot off the accelerator when Miller began to open his shoulders. Sarfaraz was dismissed in the fourteenth over when, almost against the run of play, he feathered an edge to the wicket-keeper.
When Colin Ingram and Rishabh Pant were batting for the Delhi Capitals, the run-chase appeared to be a matter of formality. The two left-handers were absolutely dominating proceedings, going hard at the bowling and finding the boundary regularly.
Pant’s 39 from 26 balls included 3 fours and 2 sixes, while Ingram’s 38 from 29 balls was decorated with four boundaries and a six.
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