44th Match, IPL: Delhi Capitals 130 for 8 (Aman 51, Shami 4-11, Mohit 2-33) beat Gujarat Titans 125 for 6 (Hardik 59*, Ishant 2-23, Khaleel 2-24) by five runs

In a game with bits that would stun any average person, 10th placed Delhi Capitals bested table-clinchers Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, winning by five runs in sensational style.

The game’s pendulum swung several times, beginning with Mohammed Shami’s four wickets during the power play, which brought the Capitals down to 23 for 5. However, the Capitals were able to get to 130 for 8 thanks to Aman Hakim Khan’s first T20 fifty and the contributions of Axar Patel and Ripal Patel.

Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, and Kuldeep Yadav left the Titans on the floor at 32 for 4 and gave the Capitals the advantage. Hardik Pandya made a half-century to keep the chase going, but Capitals had the advantage going into the final two overs.

Rahul Tewatia struck a hat trick of sixes off Anrich Nortje in the 19th over to bring the Titans within striking distance of victory just as the game appeared to be over. But in the final over, Ishant held his nerve and only gave up six runs against Hardik, Tewatia, and Rashid Khan to win for the Capitals.

Tewatia provides thrilling finish

The game could have gone either way when the Titans needed 42 runs in the final four overs. In any case, calm overs from Kuldeep and Khaleel to end their particular spells made the conditions 33 off the last two overs.

The Capitals had the game under their control when Nortje started the 19th over with three pinpoint yorkers, but Tewatia brought the home crowd back to life with three leg-side sixes. The Titans had the advantage when Ishant came in to bowl the 20th, but Hardik and Tewatia were unable to score an early boundary in the over. Ishant then, at that point, had Tewatia gotten at cover, and when Rashid Khan required a six off the last ball to compel an Over, he yielded only a solitary to wrap up with figures of 2 for 23.

Delhi Capitals’ Indian players stand up 

Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw were the first three players to leave after the Capitals won the toss and chose to bat. Warner, who was run out, Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw also failed to hit. There was a possibility that the Capitals would surrender for a score below 100 when Shami also dismissed Priyam Garg and Manish Pandey.

However, Aman and Axar revived the innings by scoring 50 runs off 54 deliveries for the sixth wicket. The pitch wasn’t particularly hard, but the first jolts forced the pair to defend. Their scoring rate increased as their partnership grew, but Capitals suffered another defeat when Mohit Sharma mishit Axar in the 14th over, resulting in his fall. However, after Axar was fired, Aman took over and reached his half-century. Together with Ripal, he assisted the Capitals in scoring 41 runs between overs 16 and 18, enabling them to set Titans’ 131-run lead.

The Titans were then harmed during the chase by Khaleel, Kuldeep, Axar, and Ishant. Wriddhiman Saha was bowled by Khaleel in a first-over maiden that included his wicket. Khaleel beat Saha’s edge three times in his first three deliveries upon his return to the team after a lengthy absence due to a hamstring injury. On the final ball of the over, he found the edge to the keeper.

After two overs, Shubman Gill drove out Nortje, but the body blows came from Ishant, who hit Vijay Shankar over the stumps with a knuckleball and Kuldeep, who messed up David Miller’s poles. That put the Titans at 32 for 4, which was almost as bad as the Capitals’ 23 for 5.

Hardik and Abhinav Manohar fought hard to make a 62-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but they only played 63 balls, allowing the required rate to rise steadily. Axar yielded only 24 of every four wicketless overs, while Kuldeep wrapped up with an economical 1 for 15, including a five-run seventeenth over. After Nortje’s costly 19th, Khaleel and Ishant bowled superb overs to make today a day of celebration for the Capitals.

Shami’s super spell 

Shami’s first-ball wicket was a good one, an opening delivery hit directly to cover by Salt, yet it was all expertise after that. He played four overs immediately after receiving the new ball, going 4 for 11, with 19 dots in 24 balls. In his second over, he operated on a good length and had Rossouw edge a delivery across to Saha.

In his third over, he stayed on the same length as right-handers Pandey and Garg and had a more prominent upright seam. Both batters were caught behind deliveries outside off. Shami, who won Player of the Match, now holds the lead in the IPL 2023 for most powerplay wickets. Warner was run out at the non-striker’s end after a mix-up with Garg, sandwiching his dismissal between Shami’s first two wickets.

When Shami’s spell was finished, the pitch didn’t turn much for Noor Ahmad or Rashid Khan. Both Mohit and Josh Little struggled to grip their cutters. Because they were unable to control the flow of runs at the end, the two seamen ended up with fairly expensive figures. Ripal’s unbeaten 13-ball 23 and Aman’s 44-ball 51 pushed Capitals to 52 runs in their final five overs, which ultimately proved to be the difference.