After being out of the playoff race in IPL 2023, the Delhi team is spoiling the game of other teams. In the 64th match of this season, Delhi defeated Punjab Kings by 15 runs. With this defeat, the playoff race has become difficult for Punjab. Batting first, Delhi Capitals scored 213 runs for two wickets. In response, the Punjab team could score only 198 runs losing eight wickets and losing the match.

Riley Russo scored the most unbeaten 82 runs for Delhi. Apart from him, Prithvi Shaw also played an inning of 54 runs. David Warner scored 46 and Philip Salt scored 26 runs. Sam Karan took two wickets for Punjab. Liam Livingstone scored the maximum 94 runs for Punjab. At the same time, Atharva Taide played an inning of 55 runs. Nortje and Ishant took two wickets each for Delhi.

With the defeat of Punjab, the playoff race has become easier for Mumbai and RCB. Now both these teams have to win the rest of their matches and it will be decided for one of these teams to play the playoffs. The Gujarat team has already reached the playoffs. Now Chennai, Lucknow, Mumbai, and RCB have the strongest claim for the three spots. Rajasthan, Kolkata, and Punjab are also in the race for the playoffs, but these teams will be able to make it to the last four depending on their luck.

Brilliant start for Delhi
Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and asked Delhi to bat keeping in mind the dew falling in the evening. Captain David Warner and Prithvi Shaw gave Delhi the start in this match which they had not got so far in this IPL. Both added 61 runs while batting fast in the powerplay. Warner scored 34 runs in 18 balls during this period. Rahul Chahar dropped Warner's catch on a personal score of 39, but it did not cost much. Warner was dismissed by Sam Karan for 46 runs. Dhawan took his brilliant catch. He hit five fours and two sixes in 31 balls. Warner and Shaw gave their biggest opening partnership of this season with 94 runs in 62 balls.

Shaw hit the 13th half-century of the IPL
Riley Rousseau did not let the absence of Warner. He hit two fours as soon as he came. After this, in the 13th over of Kagiso Rabada, he hit two sixes and fours. After this, Shaw completed his first and total 13th half-century of this IPL in 36 balls. Both also completed a quick half-century partnership, in which Rousseau's contribution was 45 runs. Meanwhile, Shaw became the victim of Karan by scoring 54 runs in 38 balls. Russo completed his first half-century of IPL in 25 balls.

Delhi scored 213 for two thanks to Rousseau's 87 off 32 balls. Rossouw hit six fours and six sixes in his innings. This season the Delhi team was successful in scoring more than 200 for the first time. Delhi is the last team to cross the 200 mark in this tournament. Sam Karan took both the wickets for Punjab in this match. Apart from Sam Karan and Rahul Chahar, all the Punjab bowlers had an economy rate of more than 10.

Punjab's bad start
Chasing a mammoth target of 214, Punjab got off to a very poor start. No runs were scored in the first over and captain Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed by Ishant Sharma in the very first ball of the second over. The Punjab team was struggling after losing the captain before the team's account was opened. In such a situation, Prabhsimran took over the team by sharing a 50-run partnership with Atharva Taide. After this Prabhsimran Singh was dismissed by Akshar Patel on a personal score of 22.

Bad fielding of Delhi
Delhi had more opportunities to take wickets, but due to poor performance in fielding, this team could not take wickets. Kuldeep Yadav bowled Liam Livingstone and Atharva Taide's easy wickets by Enrich Nortje and Yash Dhull. Apart from this, the Delhi players also left the chance to run out of both. Taking advantage of these lives, Livingstone and Atharva scored 78 runs for the third wicket and kept their team in the match. During this, Atharva also completed his half-century in 38 balls. Atharva Taide retired after scoring 55 off 42 balls and Jitesh Sharma came in to bat.

Due to the slow batting of Atharva, the run rate for Punjab had definitely become close to 18 runs per over. In such a situation, Jitesh tried to play a big shot on the third ball itself and returned to the pavilion without opening the account. After this Livingstone completed his half-century in 30 balls. However, by then the Punjab team was far behind in the match. Under the pressure of the run rate, Shahrukh Khan was also dismissed in an attempt to play a big shot after scoring six runs. Sam Karan and Livingstone took Punjab's score beyond 150 runs.

Livingstone and Sam Karan took Punjab's score to 176 runs in 18 overs. In such a situation, it seemed that the Punjab team could win this match, but Nortje bowled Sam Karan in the 19th over. Karan scored 11 runs in five balls. Harpreet Brar was run out in an attempt to give a strike to Livingstone on the very next ball. After this, Livingstone was able to score only one run in the next three balls. It was from here that Punjab's defeat was decided, as scoring 33 runs in the last over was almost impossible.

Ishant Sharma gave 17 runs in the last over and the Punjab team could only manage 198 runs losing eight wickets. Liam Livingstone scored 94 runs in 48 balls. He was caught out in the last ball of the match. Ishant Sharma and Enrich Nortje took two wickets each for Delhi. Khaleel Ahmed and Akshar Patel got one wicket each.

(pc amarujala)