IPL Match# 38 – Shikhar Dhawan scored his second consecutive century but this time it went in vain as Kings XI Punjab defeated Delhi Capitals by five wickets.
This article was originally published in FirstPost.com
Delhi Capitals Opt to Bat
DC won the toss and opted to bat. Their decision to so backfired with Jimmy Neesham striking to dismiss Prithvi Shaw (7) in the fourth over. Skipper Shreyas Iyer continued his fluctuating form after just managing to score 14 runs. Altogether, DC were too dependent on Dhawan, as most of the other batsmen endured disappointing outings. They posted 164-5 in 20 overs with Shikhar Dhawan remaining 106* and scoring 64% of the runs.
Shikhar Dhawan Show
It was Dhawan’s who batted with ease while others struggled to find their timing. He found the gaps with ease and cross-swept the DC spinners. In the process he set a new record in IPL of scoring back-to-back centuries and also crossed 5000 runs in IPL. He was rightly adjudged the Man of Match for his stellar performance.
| Innings | Runs | Avg | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 168 | 5044 | 35.03 | 126.7 |
| Hundred | Fifty | Top Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 39 | 106 |
IPL Points Table (After Match# 38)
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Tied | NRR | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delhi Capitals  | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.774 | 14 |
Mumbai Indians  | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1.201 | 12 |
Royal Challengers Bangalore  | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -0.096 | 12 |
Kolkata Knight Riders  | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | -0.607 | 10 |
Kings XI Punjab  | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | -0.177 | 8 |
Rajasthan Royals  | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | -0.591 | 8 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad  | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0.008 | 6 |
Chennai Super Kings  | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | -0.463 | 6 |
Kings XI Punjab had a Smooth Chase
In their chase, KXIP skipper KL Rahul suffered a rare batting failure. Axar Patel was the man with the crucial breakthrough, seeing off Rahul for 15 in the third over.
With KXIP 56-3 in 5.5 overs, Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell stitched a 69-run stand for the fourth wicket, to comfortably set-up the platform for a victory. Pooran cruised to what was just his second fifty in IPL as Punjab outsmarted DC to claim two points and stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Final Score: Kings XI Punjab 167/5 beat Delhi Capitals 164/5 by 5 wickets
With this win Kings XI Punjab move to the 5th position in the standings.