Delhi Capitals triumphed with a six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants, marking their first failure to defend a target above 160 at their home ground in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This win at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday catapulted Delhi from the bottom to the ninth spot on the points table, with the team reaching their target of 168 with 11 balls to spare.
The match began with Lucknow Super Giants setting a challenging total, thanks to a vital late partnership between Ayush Badoni and Arshad Khan. Despite early setbacks, including David Warner’s early dismissal for 8, Delhi’s debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk and skipper Rishabh Pant shifted the momentum, combining skillfully to counter the LSG bowlers.
Delhi’s chase lit up during the powerplay, posting their season’s best start with 62/1, despite Prithvi Shaw falling for 32 off 22 balls to Ravi Bishnoi. Fraser-McGurk, after a fortunate drop, seized the opportunity, crafting a brilliant half-century on debut. Pant aggressively supported the young Australian, rapidly scoring runs and maintaining pressure on LSG.
After Fraser-McGurk and Pant’s dismissals, Tristan Stubbs clinched the game for Delhi with a decisive six, wrapping up a comfortable win.
Earlier, LSG struggled at 94/7, with a potential all-out within the innings looming. However, Badoni and Khan’s partnership rescued them, pushing the score to a competitive 167/7. The inning was bolstered by Badoni’s maiden IPL fifty off 31 balls, playing a crucial inning that briefly gave LSG a glimmer of hope.
Delhi’s bowlers had a field day, with Khaleel Ahmed removing Quinton de Kock early and continuing his form by dispatching Devdutt Padikkal. Kuldeep Yadav’s introduction brought further devastation, claiming Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, and LSG skipper KL Rahul in quick succession. Ishant Sharma and Mukesh Kumar added to the tally, capitalizing on the conditions to round off a dominant bowling display.
This victory not only lifted Delhi Capitals’ spirits but also injected momentum into their campaign, hinting at a possible turnaround in their IPL 2024 journey.
Brief score: Lucknow Super Giants 167/7 (Ayush Badoni 55*, KL Rahul 39; Kuldeep Yadav 3-20) vs Delhi Capitals 170/4 (Jake Fraser-McGurk 55, Rishabh Pant 41; Ravi Bishnoi 2-25).
