Delhi Capitals kept their slim IPL playoff hopes alive with a three-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, completing the highest successful T20 chase at the venue. Punjab Kings’ 210 for 5 proved insufficient as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat of the season.
On a surface offering so much assistance to seamers that not a single over of spin was bowled in the match, Punjab built their total around half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Priyansh Arya. Iyer later felt the score was about 30 above par, and that seemed plausible when DC lost three wickets inside the powerplay.
However, Axar Patel and David Miller revived the chase with crucial fifties before Ashutosh Sharma, Madhav Tiwari and Auqib Nabi finished the job with an over to spare.
Arya Gives Punjab a Rapid Start
Priyansh Arya began aggressively, taking Mitchell Starc over cover-point for six from the first ball he faced. Starc’s opening over went for 22, the most he has conceded in the first over of a T20 innings, and he did not return until the tenth over.
Arya continued the attack against Lungi Ngidi, striking back-to-back sixes as PBKS raced to 51 without loss after three overs.
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Nabi and Mukesh Slow the Scoring
Despite the quick start, the ball continued to seam, allowing Auqib Nabi and Mukesh Kumar to bring DC back into the contest. Arya reached his half-century off 24 balls, but PBKS managed only 21 runs across the next three overs.
Prabhsimran Singh struggled for rhythm before falling to Mukesh for 18 off 15. Arya was dismissed soon after, caught at deep cover off Madhav Tiwari, leaving Punjab 97 for 2 after nine overs.
Iyer and Shedge Lift PBKS Past 200
Shreyas Iyer kept the innings moving from No. 3, while Cooper Connolly initially found it difficult to accelerate. PBKS scored only 33 runs between overs 11 and 14 before Connolly broke free with a 96-metre six off Starc.
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Iyer reached his fifty off 32 balls with a six off Tiwari, though Punjab lost Connolly in the same over. Starc then struck twice in two balls at the start of the 19th over, removing Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh.
Suryansh Shedge responded by hitting the hat-trick ball for six and added another six and four later in the over, pushing PBKS beyond 200.
DC Lose Early Wickets
Delhi’s chase began poorly as Yash Thakur, playing his first match of the season, bowled Abishek Porel in the second over. Arshdeep Singh then dismissed KL Rahul with a short ball, helped by a fine diving catch from Marco Jansen.
Arshdeep’s third over in the powerplay also brought the wicket of Sahil Parakh, leaving DC in trouble. Axar and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings briefly before Stubbs was run out after a mix-up.
Axar and Miller Revive the Chase
At 74 for 4 in the ninth over, DC were under pressure. Axar was dropped on 25 soon after and made Punjab pay by adding 64 runs in 34 balls with Miller.
Axar attacked Stoinis for three consecutive fours and brought up his half-century before falling while attempting another big shot. He was later fined INR 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate.
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Ashutosh and Lower Order Finish It
Punjab appeared to regain control when Arshdeep conceded only five in the 15th over, leaving DC needing 68 from five overs. However, Arshdeep had completed his quota unusually early, limiting Punjab’s death-over options.
Miller and Ashutosh took 15 from Jansen in the 16th over before Miller struck two sixes off Ben Dwarshuis in the 17th. Though Miller fell attempting another big shot, Ashutosh used angles smartly and Tiwari added clean late hitting to close out the chase.
Delhi reached 216 for 7, completing a record-breaking pursuit and handing Punjab another damaging defeat.
