Mumbai : An impressive bowling show from Delhi Capitals resulted in Punjab Kings bowled out for just 115, the lowest total of IPL 2022, at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday.
From 33/0 in 3.3 overs, Punjab’s batting imploded spectacularly as Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav and Mustafizur Rahman picked two wickets each.
Mayank Agarwal began the innings with an uppish cut through point off Shardul Thakur. He then picked three more fours off Thakur’s second over, two on the off-side followed by a leg glance as Punjab raced to 27/0 in three overs.
Lalit provided the breakthrough for Delhi, breaking the 33-run opening stand as Shikhar Dhawan was strangled down leg while trying to pull and Rishabh Pant grabbing an excellent catch. In the next over, Agarwal chopped on to his stumps off Rahman while trying to dab through third man.
Punjab were dealt with another big blow in power-play when Liam Livingstone danced down the pitch to loft straight down the ground but missed the ball completely and was stumped by Pant off Axar. In the next over, Jonny Bairstow pulled a short ball from Ahmed straight to long leg.
Jitesh Sharma tried to steady Punjab’s innings with some boundaries off Ahmed, Rahman and Kuldeep. But he was trapped lbw on 32 off 23 balls by Axar while moving across to sweep.
With Kuldeep castling Kagiso Rabada and Nathan Ellis on consecutive deliveries in his final over after going wicketless in first three and Shahrukh Khan nicking behind a short and wide off cutter from Ahmed in the next over, the end was inevitable for Punjab.
Rahul Chahar struck a four and six to take Punjab past 100 with his run-a-ball 12. But Lalit took him out by sweeping straight to deep backward square leg. Arshdeep Singh’s run-out on the final ball of the innings brought curtains on a very strange innings from Punjab.
Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 115 all out in 20 overs (Jitesh Sharma 32, Mayank Agarwal 24; Axar Patel 2/10, Lalit Yadav 2/11) against Delhi Capitals
–IANS