There is no doubt that Delhi Capitals are on a high. It showed when Rishabh Pant won the toss and chose to bat on a slow Chepauk track. Like always, Shaw and Dhawan got DC off to a flyer. Shaw looked particularly threatening looking to hit the ball off the mete off the bat. Dhawan started slow and looked very un-Dhawanlike in his stroke-making and approach towards the match.
Shaw smashed SRH bowlers to all corners of the Chepauk and brought up his fifty. He ultimately departed after hitting 7 fours and 1 six in his innings of 53. By then DC had laid the perfect foundation on which big hitters like Stoinis and Pant could lay siege to later on.
However, DC never really got going. SRH was able to bowl some tight lines and prevent DC from cutting loose. Even though Pant, Steve Smith, and Dhawan all got going, they were never able to push the accelerator and take DC close to the 200 marks. Pant scored 37 off 27 balls while Smith scored 34 not out off 25 balls. In the end, DC could manage a very average 159 for 4 off their 20 overs.
However, on a slow Chepauk track, 159 was more like a 200 score. For SRH, Rashid Khan, Sujith, Vijay Shankar, and Siddharth Kaul were all economical in their bowling. It was only Khaleel Ahmed that went for a few. In the end, SRH would have been happy keeping DC’s batting line-up to 159.
SRH did not get to a very good start. Warner never got going and was runout for just 6 off 8 overs. It was Bairstow who looked like keeping SRH in the game. The Englishman got going well and smashed 4 quick sixes. With Bairstow and Kane Williamson going strong, it looked like SRH will be able to comfortably chase down the total. However. DC’s young pacer, Avesh Khan has proved time and again why Pant and Ponting repose so much faith in the youngster.
Khan sent Bairstow packing and then got Virat Singh out just for 4. The entire SRH team collapsed around Williamson. Axar Patel picked up 2 wickets in one over getting Rashid Khan and Abhishek Sharma out off successive balls. With 43 runs required off 4 overs, SRH always looked like in the hunt with Williamson in the middle.
42 Overs later 💙
A thrilling win against #SRH in the Super Over makes it 2 in 2 for us in Chepauk 🔥#YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 #SRHvDC pic.twitter.com/SpB85kX4VG
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 25, 2021
SRH’s confusing batting strategies continued with Vijay Shankar being sent below Khan and Sharma. Avesh Khan got Vijay Shankar but he bowled two bad balls to SRH number 9 Sujith. Sujith whacked two fours off Khan and left SRH to score 16 runs off the last over.
Avesh Khan finished with 3 for 34 off his 4 overs. The youngster needs to come of age and mature faster. He needs to understand what he needs to bowl to the tail-enders. Williamson fine-tickled the first four off Rabada and scored a cheeky four. Sujith did the impossible when everyone was questioning Williamson taking the single.
Sujith smashed Rabada for a six off the midwicket with SRH needing 4 off 3. With 2 fours and 1 six, Sujith was looking like a savior for SRH. Williamson scampered for a single and SRH needed 3 off 2 balls. A stunning slower ball from Rabada resulted in Williamson edging one and SRH taking a cheeky single. Sujith managed a single off the last ball, and we have a Super Over!
Williamson and Sujith took SRH to a Super Over!
Axar Patel bowled a fantastic Super Over to Warner and Williamson. SRH managing just 7 runs in their Super Over. With 8 to get DC fancied their chances of getting over the finish line. Pant and Dhawan walked into bat and Rashid Khan had the duty to bowl the Super Over.
Pant got a 4 off the third ball. DC needed 2 off 2 balls. An LBW call resulted in one more single. Now DC needed 1 off the last ball. Pant just managed to get home and DC won a close-call match against SRH.
