Jaipur, 25 May (H.S.): In the high-stakes race for the Top 2 positions in IPL 2025, Delhi Capitals concluded their campaign on a high note, securing an unexpected win against the Punjab Kings on Saturday. Key performances came from Sameer Rizvi, who achieved his first IPL half-century, and Karun Nair, who contributed a significant 44 runs to the team’s success.
The match saw Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer’s half-century and Marcus Stoinis’ aggressive 16-ball 44, set a formidable target of 208 runs for Delhi Capitals. Despite frequent wickets falling, Punjab sustained a strong scoring rate, though they were contained by Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, who allowed Punjab to post a competitive score. Delhi won the toss and opted to bat first, with Faf du Plessis filling in as captain due to Axar Patel’s unavailability. Punjab’s need for a strong performance against Delhi was critical, especially with rival teams, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, facing setbacks.
The match intensified as Delhi reached 208/4 in 19.3 overs, clinching victory by 6 wickets, capped off by Rizvi’s final six. As the thrilling encounter unfolded, Delhi required 22 runs from the last 12 balls. Arshdeep bowled the 19th over, during which Stubbs managed a single, bringing Rizvi to strike. Rizvi responded with a six and eventually hit his half-century while leading the charge. Stubbs also contributed with a single before closing the over with a boundary, pushing the score to 199/4.
Previously, in the 18th over, Omarzai had Rizvi and Stubbs placing singles, followed by Rizvi’s boundary that set the score to 185/4. Harpreet’s over saw Stubbs adding more runs with singles before Rizvi launched a six, marking the end of an explosive innings. By the 14 overs mark, DC stood at 146/3, with Rizvi displaying remarkable skills, keeping the momentum strong throughout the match, including several boundaries amidst intense competition.
Praveen Dubey made his mark by taking Atal’s wicket with Arshdeep Singh catching the ball. Atal, despite earlier dropping two catches in windy conditions—including a missed chance off Inglis—managed to hit a massive six to deep square leg, scoring 12 runs in that over. When DC was at 93/2 after 10 overs, Dubey began his spell; they previously reached 81/2 after 9 overs, showcasing aggressive batting with Atal’s big shot off Marco Jansen.
DC’s score was 78/2 after 8 overs in a challenging contest. Faf du Plessis, after a brief yet impactful innings, was dismissed for 23 runs off 15 balls by Harpreet Brar, with Priyansh Arya taking the catch at backward point. Now on strike, Karun Nair began his innings with a six in the preceding over but managed only a single afterward. Faf’s departure added pressure on DC.
Earlier, Rishabh Rahul contributed significantly with a quick 35 off 21 balls, before his dismissal by Marco Jansen. Rahul started strong with a boundary but soon fell to a catch by Shashank Singh, ending his promising innings. DC rapidly reached 50 runs in just 5 overs, bolstered by Faf’s and Rahul’s early contributions—Faf hitting a six and a four while Rahul displayed explosive stroke play.
The introduction of Harpreet Brar into the bowling lineup proved pivotal, leading to crucial wickets for DC and making it tougher to accumulate runs. The match remains intense as both teams strive to assert their dominance in this competitive IPL encounter.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
