Rishabh Pant and Jake Fraser-McGurks aggressive batting helped Delhi Capitals to register a six-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants in the 26th match of IPL 2024 at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Friday.
Pant notched up a quickfire 41 runs knock off 24 balls, including 4 fours and 2 sixes, injecting momentum into Delhis innings.
And debutant McGurk was remarkable, who scored 55 runs in just 35 balls with 2 fours and an impressive 5 sixes. Their partnership of 77 runs for the third wicket put considerable pressure on Lucknow bowlers.
Delhi picked up the pace after the initial 10 overs, with Pant and McGurks explosive partnership adding significant runs quickly.
The match seemed to take a tense turn with the quick dismissals of McGurk and Pant. Yet, the partnership they forged provided Delhi with a solid foundation.
Impressively, Shai Hope and Triston Stubbs held their nerve and calmly guided Delhi to victory, ensuring they crossed the finish line with 6 wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.
Delhi faced some early setbacks in their chase. Losing David Warner early on was
disappointing, especially considering his potential as a key batsman at the top of the order. Prithvi Shaw, although showing promise, could not convert his start into a substantial score, falling short of a half-century once again with 32 runs off 22 balls.
Despite these setbacks, the team managed to recover. Earlier, crucial knocks by Ayush Badoni and Arshad Khan rescued Lucknow boosting their score to 167/7. They had lost 7 wickets for 94 runs, but Badoni and Arshad saved the teams honour.
Badonis quickfire 55 runs off 35 balls and Arshads 20 runs off 16 balls were instrumental in stabilising the innings and building a partnership of 73 runs for the 8th wicket.
In the last 3 overs, Lucknows batsmen accelerated their scoring, adding 39 runs to take the total score beyond 160, setting a target of 168 runs for Delhi to chase.
Lucknows innings had a mixed bag of performances. Quinton de Kocks early dismissal after a promising start disappointed the team.
However, KL Rahul stepped up and played a significant inning of 39 runs in 22 balls, displaying his leadership and determination. Though he couldnt reach his second fifty this season, his contribution was crucial in stabilising the innings.
Lucknows middle and lower order faced significant challenges with Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, and Krunal Pandya failing to make an impact with the bat. Their dismissals added to the pressure on the team, especially considering the importance of building partnerships and maintaining momentum in T20 cricket.
However, Badoni once again emerged as the savior for Lucknow, replicating his earlier performance by scoring a fifty.
His contribution was vital in taking the teams total score to 167 runs, ensuring that Lucknow had a competitive total to defend against Delhi.
Badonis consistent performances in this match underscored his value to the team and his ability to deliver under pressure.
Delhis bowling attack, led by Khalil Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav, made significant inroads into Lucknows batting lineup. Khalil Ahmeds early strikes, dismissing De Kock and Devdutt Padikkal, gave Delhi a strong start and put pressure on the opposition.
Kuldeeps performance in breaking the back of Lucknows middle-order batting with three wickets was crucial in restricting their scoring and shifting the momentum in Delhis favor.
Moreover, Ishant Sharma and Mukesh Kumar contributed with a wicket each further adding to the pressure on Lucknow.
However, Delhi bowlers giving away a lot of runs in the last overs suggested lapses in the death bowling department.
Lucknow and Delhi have a busy schedule ahead with back-to-back matches in different cities. Lucknow will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata on April 14. Similarly, Delhi will play against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 17.
Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 167/7 in 20 overs (Ayush Badoni 55*, KL Rahul 39; Kuldeep Yadav 3-20, Khaleel Ahmed 2-41) lost to Delhi Capitals 170/4 in 18.1 overs (Jake Fraser-McGurk 55, Rishabh Pant 41; Ravi Bishnoi 2-25) by 6 wickets.
(With UNI inputs)
