Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

A Capital win after Titans routed for season's lowest total

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Wednesday, 17 April 2024 10:41

Delhi Capitals 92 for 4 (Fraser-McGurk 20, Warrier 2-40) beat Gujarat Titans 89 all out (Rashid 31, Mukesh 3-14) by six wickets

At the start of the fourth over, Gujarat Titans were projected to reach 169. By the start of the sixth over, they were trending much lower, to 120. In the end, they were bowled out for double-digits, 89. It was their lowest-ever IPL total, having been brought into the tournament in 2022.

Four of the six bowlers Delhi Capitals used returned economy rates of 4.5 or less, setting up the batters to go out there and do their thing. The chase was done in 53 balls, with six wickets to spare, and that mattered. Capitals are now in sixth place, above Titans on the points table, because their net run-rate rose from -0.975 to -0.074.

How the Titans fell

A slow, low, and turning pitch had the home team spiralling all through their innings. Shubman Gill tried to get ahead of it by going hard at everything. He hit two cuh-risp fours in five balls and in going for another he got caught at cover. Eventually it became clear why he was so desperate for early boundaries.

The ball began holding in the pitch. Wriddhiman Saha went after it but was too early into the pull and dragged it onto his stumps. It began spinning. Tristan Stubbs, who had bowled only 177 balls in his 79-match T20 career, helped himself to two wickets in an over with his offbreaks.

Four of the top six with single-digit scores. Rahul Tewatia batting in the powerplay. Sacrificing the option of R Sai Kishore as an Impact Player against the right-hander-heavy Capitals line-up to send in Shahrukh Khan. He was meant to firefight. He was the in-case-of-emergency-break-glass option. He returned with a duck. Out stumped even though the wicketkeeper didn't collect the ball cleanly. It was that kind of day.

Pant is a joy

Right at the start, a giggle was caught on the mic. It sounded very Rishabh Pant-y. He and Gill were just staring at each other and everybody else was stuck waiting as the Capitals skipper tried to remember what the plan was after winning the toss. "I think we're going to bowl," he said.

Pant took two catches, one requiring a little more effort than normal, from how he needed to dive low and quickly to his left to take it and then call on DRS to confirm suspicions that David Miller had indeed nicked it.

There were a couple of stumpings as well, one that almost didn't happen. Pant had seen that Shahrukh's back foot was nowhere near where it needed to be. He was beyond excited. That might have played a part in how he grabbed for the ball, hard-handed, and therefore couldn't collect it cleanly. But it didn't matter because the ball just bounced off his gloves and straight onto the wicket, prompting child-like glee at how a mistake he'd made actually turned out okay.

This is why the world needs Rishabh Pant. A lot of his fans - and India fans - must be thrilled that he's back playing cricket again because he is a game-changer. But really, he's so much more than that. He reminds people to smile. To enjoy themselves. To have fun. Just by smiling and having fun himself.

In the eighth over, when Kuldeep Yadav was upset with a wayward throw, acting like he had suffered a mortal wound, Pant ran down to the bowler, put one hand around his shoulders and used the other one to stroke his chest. There, there. Don't worry. Be happy.

He had a good game as captain too, bringing back Khaleel Ahmed for a third over inside the powerplay to see if he could sneak a fifth Titans wicket. That wasn't possible but a maiden was. For some reason he bowled Stubbs ahead of Axar Patel which turned a score of 47 for 4 to 48 for 6. Pant spent the rest of the innings chirping away behind the stumps. It was like he was never even away.

Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Read 9 times

Soccer

Bayern-linked De Zerbi: I want to stay at Brighton

Bayern-linked De Zerbi: I want to stay at Brighton

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBrighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has said he wants to stay with th...

Pochettino demands 'stupid' exit rumours stop

Pochettino demands 'stupid' exit rumours stop

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMauricio Pochettino has called for "stupid rumours" around his Chel...

Pep: Foden primed to become one of City's best

Pep: Foden primed to become one of City's best

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPep Guardiola has backed Phil Foden to become one of Manchester Cit...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Giannis: Wasn't nearing return before Bucks exit

Giannis: Wasn't nearing return before Bucks exit

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMILWAUKEE -- Despite trying to push himself to be available to the...

Sources: Clips look to lock up Lue with extension

Sources: Clips look to lock up Lue with extension

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe LA Clippers are planning to pursue a contract extension with co...

Baseball

Pirates activate Grandal (foot) from injured list

Pirates activate Grandal (foot) from injured list

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Pittsburgh Pirates activated catcher Yasmani Grandal from the 1...

Cubs ace Steele may return Monday from injury

Cubs ace Steele may return Monday from injury

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHICAGO -- Cubs ace Justin Steele is just about ready to return to...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated