Delhi Capitals scored 224/4 in 20 overs, where as Gujarat Titans scored 220/8 in 20 overs.
So, finally Delhi Capitals beat Gujarat Titans by 4 runs.
Delhi Capitals rode on their captain’s phenomenal innings of 88 from 43 balls to secure a narrow four-run victory over Gujarat Titans, despite the valiant efforts of Sai Sudharsan, David Miller, and Rashid Khan to thwart the hosts from completing the double over them.
Pant’s blistering knock, accompanied by Axar Patel’s solid contribution (66 off 43) and Tristan Stubbs’s late flourish (26 off 7), propelled DC’s total well beyond the 200-run mark, proving to be just sufficient to clinch the two points in the end.
Where was the match decided?
Although GT had a strong start and remained competitive through the middle overs, it was the onslaught in the backend that tilted the scales in DC’s favor.
With 11 sixes smashed in the final five overs, including 22 off the 19th over and 31 off the last, DC surged to a total that seemed unlikely just a few overs earlier.
Despite GT’s impressive run rate of 14.6 in the last five overs, they fell short, underscoring the significance of DC’s late surge with the bat.
The death-overs difference
| Parameters | DC | GT |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 97/1 | 73/3 |
| Run-rate | 19.4 | 14.6 |
| 4s/6s | 4 and 11 | 6 and 7 |
Delhi Capitals
Power Play: Sandeep Warrier and the Afghan duo wreak havoc on the hosts
Phase score: 44/3 [RR: 7.34, 4s/6s: 5/2]
Jake Fraser-McGurk flirted with danger, as is his wont, and prospered until the fourth over when his hefty flick found its way straight into the hands of Noor Ahmad at deep square leg.
Three balls later, Prithvi Shaw attempted a pull shot only to be dismissed by Noor’s incredible forward-diving catch at the same position.
Sandeep Warrier completed a stellar Power Play performance with his third wicket, as Shai Hope mistimed a big hit, allowing Rashid Khan to complete yet another sharp catch from deep point.
Warrier concluded the phase with figures of 3 for 15 in 3 overs, leaving DC struggling at 44/3.
Middle Overs: Axar, Pant launch a counter assault
Phase score: 83/0 [RR: 9.20, 4s/6s: 9/3]
The decision to promote Axar to No.3 paid dividends for DC as he teamed up with his skipper to dismantle the spin attack during the middle overs.
Rashid and Noor were taken for 57 runs off 6 overs, despite their repeated attempts with wrong ‘uns, as Axar and Pant adeptly read their variations.
Mohit Sharma’s slower deliveries proved ineffective as runs flowed off both pacers and spinners.
The duo targeted the leg side boundary against the slower bowlers, with Axar reaching his half-century off 37 balls in this phase.
Death Overs: Sixes rain as DC surpass 200
Phase score: 97/1 [RR: 19.4, 4s/6s: 4/11]
Pant initiated the onslaught in the death overs with a helicopter-like whip for a six off Mohit Sharma.
He followed it up with another boundary over extra cover in the same over, accumulating 16 runs.
Noor was entrusted with bowling duties in the death overs, only to be greeted by Axar with two massive sixes, before the latter departed after a fine knock of 66 off 43 balls.
Stubbs entered with a similar mindset, joining the six-hitting spree.
He dispatched two fours and two sixes off R Sai Kishore, who surprisingly bowled his first over of the match in the 19th, conceding 22 runs.
Pant then unleashed his fury on Mohit Sharma in the final over, plundering 31 runs.
The GT pacer ended with the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history – 0 for 73 – with Pant smashing 62 runs off his deliveries in just 18 balls.
The DC skipper concluded with a whirlwind unbeaten knock of 88 runs from just 43 balls, including 5 fours and 8 sixes.
Gujarat Titans
PowerPlay: Saha, Sai Sudharsan provide a rapid start
Phase score: 67/1 [RR: 11.16, 4s/6s: 10/2]
Wriddhiman Saha capitalized on the fast outfield, smashing five boundaries to score 33 runs off just 15 balls in this phase.
DC struck early with the dismissal of Shubman Gill, but Sai Sudharsan, the impact substitute, began with a six and maintained the tempo with another maximum along with four fours by the end of the Power Play.
However, luck favored Sudharsan as Axar grassed a straightforward catch at mid-on, allowing the left-hander to continue his aggressive approach.
This marked GT’s second-best Power Play score in their brief history.
Middle Overs: Rasikh Salam applies brakes with crucial wickets
Phase score: 80/4 [RR: 8.88, 4s/6s: 7/2]
Two spectacular catches halted GT’s progress during the middle overs.
Firstly, Axar made amends for his earlier drop by timing his jump perfectly to snare a sharp catch at cover, dismissing Saha.
Then, Fraser-McGurk pulled off a brilliant catch reminiscent of Noor Ahmad’s style – sprinting in from deep square leg and diving forward to dismiss Azmatullah Omarzai.
However, Sudharsan continued to accelerate, reaching a 29-ball half-century.
Medium-pacer Salam, DC’s impact substitute, clipped Sudharsan’s wings as the left-hander holed out to Axar at long-off.
Pant’s lightning reflexes sent Shahrukh Khan packing, leaving GT five down in Salam’s next over, with GT requiring 78 runs in the final five overs.
Death Overs: Miller, Sai Kishore, Rashid fight, but GT fall short
Phase score: 73/3 [RR: 14.60, 4s/6s: 6/7]
Kuldeep added pressure on GT in the death overs, conceding just five runs and dismissing Rahul Tewatia in the 16th over.
David Miller then narrowed the gap between balls remaining and runs required by plundering 24 runs off Anrich Nortje’s over.
DC felt the heat as Abishek Porel missed a tough catching opportunity at deep square leg off Rashid Khan, but Salam made amends at long on to terminate Miller’s explosive innings of 55 runs from just 23 balls.
While Miller’s dismissal was anticipated to end GT’s chase, Sai Kishore swung hard and connected, smashing two sixes off Salam before being bowled by the same bowler.
Rashid brought the equation down from 19 runs off 6 balls to 5 runs off the final delivery, but couldn’t propel his team over the line despite some magnificent hitting.
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