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April 24, 2024
In a thrilling finish that went down to the last ball, Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a dramatic four-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Chasing a daunting target of 225, GT came incredibly close, but DC held their nerve to clinch their fourth win of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Rishabh Pant’s explosive performance was the highlight of DC’s batting, as his fireworks in the slog overs propelled them to a formidable total of 224. Given the recent match between DC and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), expectations were high for a big score when DC batted first. However, after Sandeep Warrier’s inspired spell of seam bowling, coupled with excellent fielding, reduced DC to 44 for three in the sixth over, few would have anticipated such a recovery. Pant found crucial support from Axar Patel, who scored 66 off 43 balls, and together, they added 113 runs to rescue Delhi Capitals from a precarious position in this GT vs DC encounter.
Prithvi Shaw kicked off the innings with a powerful drive through extra cover for four runs. His opening partner, Jake Fraser-McGurk, maintained an aggressive approach, attacking the bowling from the start. He quickly raced to 23, including two big leg-side hits. When Sandeep Warrier came on to bowl the fourth over, he made an immediate impact. Fraser-McGurk attempted to clear the square leg again but fell short, caught on the boundary. Shaw tried to pull a delivery, but Noor Ahmad made a brilliant diving catch from the deep. In the sixth over, Warrier dismissed Shai Hope, who skied one to third-man, where Rashid Khan took another excellent diving catch. Warrier ended his spell with impressive figures of three for 15 in three overs.
At this point, Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel took charge. Axar promoted to No. 3, played a stabilizing role as they gradually built up the innings following those early setbacks. Over the next few overs, Pant and Axar rotated the strike while finding the occasional boundaries. As the overs progressed, the batters began to open up, particularly Axar, who reached his fifty off 37 balls in the 15th over, leaving DC at 127 for three. Pant was batting at a steady 34 off 26 balls. This is when the momentum shifted for DC in this GT vs DC clash. The following onslaught exemplified the Rishabh Pant School of Batting, putting immense pressure on the bowlers and leaving little room for error.
The following five overs produced an impressive total of 97 runs, with 53 coming in the final two overs alone. During this explosive phase, Rishabh Pant faced 17 balls and scored 54 runs. It all began with Pant launching two sixes off Mohit Sharma in the 16th over. Noor bowled the 17th, where Axar Patel hit him for two consecutive sixes before getting bowled. Tristan Stubbs then joined Pant at the crease, maintaining the attacking momentum. Pant reached his fifty with a six over mid-wicket off Mohit in the 18th over.
In the 19th over, Sai Kishore, GT’s standout from their game in Mullanpur, was brought into the bowl. In a challenging situation, he conceded singles off the first two deliveries. However, Stubbs turned it up a notch, smashing four, six, four—all in the ‘V’ from cover to mid-wicket. This impressive display helped DC surpass 190 runs in this GT vs DC match.
As the last over began, Pant unleashed his fury against Mohit. This overproduced a staggering 31 runs, featuring one four and four sixes. Pant sent the previous three balls soaring out of the ground, ensuring DC carried significant momentum into the mid-innings of this exciting GT vs DC clash.
GT’s run-chase began with a bang as Wriddhiman Saha struck the first ball for four through cover. However, Anrich Nortje dismissed Shubman Gill in the second over while attempting to clear mid-off. Sai Sudharsan entered the fray, hitting his first ball over the third-man fielder for a six. Gujarat Titans maintained their attacking approach in the following overs, with Saha and Sudharsan adding an impressive 82 runs off just 49 balls.
Saha was the more aggressive of the two, scoring 26 off 10 balls at one point. A standout moment came when he hit a spectacular one-handed six over long-on off Khaleel Ahmed. Sudharsan capitalized on an early reprieve, showcasing an array of classy shots to find the boundaries. As the innings progressed, Saha shifted his focus to rotating the strike while Sudharsan continued to find gaps more consistently.
After the powerplay, DC introduced Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav into the attack, which helped them apply pressure. Kuldeep finally broke through by dismissing Saha for 39 in the 10th over when Saha attempted to drive over cover but was caught by Axar. Azmatullah Omarzai managed only one run before he tried to hit Axar over mid-wicket. Still, Fraser-McGurk made a brilliant catch running in. This pivotal moment added to the intrigue of the ongoing GT vs DC contest.
David Miller joined Sudharsan, who had just passed his fifty. DC’s spinners, supported well by Rasikh Salam and Mukesh Kumar, varied their pace effectively during the middle overs, applying increasing pressure. Sudharsan lost his wicket for 65 in the 13th over when he hit Salam to long-on. Shahrukh Khan began with a six but was dismissed by Salam in the next over, edging one to Pant. DC tightened their grip further by bringing in Kuldeep, who dismissed Tewatia, who was caught behind by Pant—a testament to Pant’s impressive work behind the stumps.
With 73 runs needed off the last four overs, the drama intensified. Miller launched a fierce assault, scoring 24 runs off Nortje, including three sixes, and reaching fifty off 21 balls. However, Mukesh struck back in the next over, dismissing Miller as he holed out to square leg. Rashid Khan was dropped on his first ball, a moment that could have proved costly. Sai Kishore joined the attack in the penultimate over, smashing two sixes off Salam before being bowled off the last ball.
Mukesh entered to bowl the final over, with GT needing 19 runs. Rashid struck fours through wide long-on and cover, but Mukesh responded with two dot balls. It came down to 11 runs required off the last two deliveries. Rashid added to the tension by clearing long-off for a massive six, reminding GT supporters of their thrilling game against SRH in 2022. Rashid had hit sixes off the last two balls to secure victory. However, Mukesh managed to keep Rashid in check on the final delivery, which went too long on the bounce. DC breathed a sigh of relief in this gripping GT vs DC encounter.
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