CHENNAI: DELHI Capitals signed off their league obligations with a 19-run win against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. However, the hosts, with 14 points, will have to depend on a couple of teams doing them multiple favours in the final league matches of the season.
What complicates matters for them is their inferior Net Run Rate when compared to some of their direct rivals to make the elimination phase of the competition.
Right now, they are in fifth but have to hope for one of two things to come to fruition. They will want Sunrisers Hyderabad to suffer two big defeats or one of Chennai or Bengaluru to hand a thrashing to the other.
After their batters suffered a rare off day against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they returned to their boundary-hitting ways at home. After being asked to bat, they did lose Jake Fraser-McGurk but that didn’t deter Abhishek Porel from taking the attack to the opposition in the powerplay. In earlier matches, he watched the Australian set the tempo.
On Tuesday, he was that man as he took a specific liking to Arshad Khan’s genteel medium as he hit three boundaries and one huge six over mid-wicket. After Porel departed, the finishing kick was provided by Tristan Stubbs, who has made it a habit of bludgeoning the ball at will at multiple venues.
Rishabh Pant, Shai Hope and Porel all contributed, but without the South African’s shape-shifting innings, Delhi may have struggled to breach 200 (208/4). After beginning the innings a bit watchfully (seven off nine), he also took a special liking to Arshad, with one slot ball disappearing over long-on the proverbial ‘flicking the switch’ moment.
Next, he teed off against the previously unhittable Mohsin Khan for another six in the same area. Like most elite finishers, Stubbs rarely loses balance and backs himself to clear the fence at will. He also has multiple shots in his arsenal so bowling to him can be a pain-inducing exercise.
Naveen-ul-Haq found this out in the 19th over thanks to a tennis-like pull shot which sailed over the sightscreen. A couple of balls later, he brought out a Virat Kohli-like textbook inside-out drive for another six. By the time the 20 overs was up, nine off seven had become 57 off 25 (48 off 18).
Lucknow, mathematically still in with a chance despite the defeat, lost as many as four wickets in the powerplay.
From thereon, things went downhill despite Nicholas Pooran’s 61. Once Pooran got out, Arshad Khan (58 n.o) tried his best till the end, but it was not enough as LSG could only make 189/9.
Brief scores: DC 208/4 in 20 ovs (Stubbs 57 n.o, Porel 58, Hope 38, Pant 33; Naveen 2/51) bt LSG 189/9 in 20 ovs (Pooran 61, Arshad 58 n.o; Ishant 3/34).