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IPL 2021: Twitter Reacts As Another Shikhar Dhawan Masterclass Seals The Deal For Delhi Capitals Against Punjab Kings

By Yash Mittal

Updated - 19 Apr 2021, 01:22 AM

Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan. Image Credits: Twitter

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Another imperious knock by Shikhar Dhawan [92 off 49 balls] and brilliant cameos from Prithvi Shaw [32 off 17 balls] and Marcus Stoinis [27* off 13] has helped Delhi Capitals gun down the total of 4-195 posted by Punjab Kings with 10 balls to spare.

Chasing 196, Delhi Capitals got off to a brilliant start courtesy of the duo of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan.

Shaw, just like the first match against Chennai Super Kings, enthralled with his disdainful strokeplay as he smashed three fours and two sixes during his 17-ball 32, the highlight of which was a nonchalant lofted on-drive off Mohammed Shami for a six.

Shikhar Dhawan, on the other hand, did what he has been doing in the past three seasons in the IPL: smash boundaries for fun.

Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw (Image Credit: Twitter)

Shaw was eventually undone by a short-pitch delivery by Arshdeep Singh but by then the pint-sized swashbuckler had already done his job as Delhi Capitals rocketed their way to 1/62 in the powerplay.

Dhawan, meanwhile, continued to smash boundaries for fun. He pulled Jalaj Saxena past midwicket and then followed it up with a cut past third-man in the 10th over.

The southpaw completed his 2nd half-century of the season with a single off Jhye Richardson in just 31 balls and he celebrated that with a proper hoike across the line for a six past deep backward square-leg. Delhi Capitals 1/99 in 10 overs.

Delhi Capitals, Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan smoked a whirlwind 49-ball 92 [Image-IPLT20]
Steve Smith was dismissed for a 12-ball 9 by Jhye Richardson but the wicket did not bring any sort of respite for Punjab Kings as Shikhar Dhawan [49-ball 92] continued to toy with their bowling unit. Dhawan deposited Mohammed Shami for a six over his head and then proceeded to smash Riley Meredith for three consecutive fours to storm into the 90s.

But Jhye Richardson eventually knocked over the southpaw as Dhawan failed to connect with the attempted scoop.

With 36 needed off the last four overs, it all boiled down to captain Pant and Marcus Stoinis to steer the ship for Delhi Capitals. Shami erred by overstepping in the 17th over and Stoinis made the most of the free hit by hitting the pacer straight down the ground for a four. He backed it up with another no-ball- this time a waist-high no-ball- on which Stoinis was caught brilliantly at short third-man.

Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis (Image Credit: Twitter)

Stonis [27* off 13] once again made the most of the ‘free-hit as he muscles Shami for a six over long-on and he then followed it with a four straight down the ground to effectively seal the deal. Jhye Richardson did dismiss Rishabh Pant in the next over but Lalit Yadav and Marcus Stoinis ensured that the target was gunned down in the penultimate over bowled by Riley Meredith.

 

 

Punjab Kings racked up 195 against Delhi Capitals thanks to a brilliant opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul

After a poor batting performance in the last game against Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings’ openers Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul came out all guns blazing against the Delhi Capitals.

The Capitals’ fast bowling unit- Chris Woakes, Lukman Meriwala, and Kagiso Rabada- were off-color in the powerplay as they failed to hit their line on a consistent basis.

And, Agarwal and KL capitalized big time. Agarwal laid into Lukman Meriwala by smoking him for two fours and a six.

Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal [Image-IPLT20]
Mayank backed it up with a couple of fours off Woakes and then another four off Meriwala in the following over while KL Rahul, who was dropped by Steve Smith on the second ball of the 2nd over, too opened up his arms after a slow start as he pulled Ashwin for a four before cutting Kagiso Rabada for another boundary as Punjab Kings finished the powerplay at 0/59.

Ashwin bowled a tight over in which he gave away just four runs before Lalit Yadav offered a couple of freebies, a half-tracker which Rahul pulled past midwicket followed by a short ball outside off-stump which he cut past backward point for another four, as Punjab Kings walloped to 0/74 after 8.

Mayank Agarwal then welcomed Ashwin in his 3rd over with a six straight over his head before a misfield by Lukman Meriwala at short third-man gave him another four.

Agarwal brought up a 25-ball fifty with a four off Avesh Khan and he celebrated that with a couple of audacious sixes off Kagiso Rabada- one over long-off followed by one over fine-leg- before KL Rahil tonked another six off the Proteas pacer to make it 20 in the 11th over.

Dhawan caught Mayank in the deep [Image-IPLT20]
Amid the carnage, Avesh Khan bowled with his change of pace bowled brilliantly and he could have easily got KL Rahul in the 12th over but for Prithvi Shaw, who gave the birthday boy another reprieve at midwicket.

The 120-run stand finally came to an end when Lukman Meriwala, courtesy a wide slower ball, induced a mistimed stroke from Mayank Agarwal (69 off 36).

KL Rahul
KL Rahul (Image Credit: Twitter)

KL Rahul completed a sedate 50 off 45 balls and with Mayank dismissed, the onus was on him to continue with the scoring rate.

Rahul got a third reprieve in the 15th over bowled by Avesh Khan when he hit it straight to Stoinis at cover. But the Australian proceeded to shell an easy catch.

Rahul made full use of it as he smashed a flat six over extra-cover before slicing it between third man and point for another four. He finally cherished for a 51-ball 61as he holed out at deep midwicket off Kagiso Rabada.

Chris Gayle (11 off 9) and Nicholas Pooran (9 off 8) fell in quick succession but the duo of Deepak Hooda (22* off 13) and Shahrukh Khan (15* off 5) ensured that Punjab Kings finished at 4/195.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/im_yash2307/status/1383824804755623937?s=19

https://twitter.com/benjonescricket/status/1383816242469826563?s=19

https://twitter.com/benjonescricket/status/1383789585595912203?s=20

 

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