DC vs KXIP: As IPL enters home stretch, Delhi Capitals eke out crucial win over Kings XI Punjab

NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals (DC) marched on in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a much-needed home win against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday to retain their third spot on the points table.
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After losing two consecutive home matches, Delhi averted a trio of defeats as captain Shreyas Iyer (58 not out off 49 balls) and opener Shikhar Dhawan (56 off 41) helped the hosts chase down a 164-run target with five wickets and two balls to spare.

Earlier, on a relatively bald-looking Kotla track, Delhi’s Sandeep Lamichhane (3/40) put in a splendid effort for the hosts as he made full use of the slow and low pitch. Chris Gayle scored a 37-ball 69 and looked good for more, but his dismissal kept the Kings total in check. Delhi’s Ishant Sharma too was spot-on with the new ball while Axar Patel took two vital wickets to peg the Kings XI charge.
Dhawan and Iyer added 92 runs for the second wicket off 64 balls after Prithvi Shaw fell early, but at one point, Delhi lost a few wickets in quick time to raise fears of another collapse. They recovered thanks to their skipper’s unbeaten knock. Iyer held his ground and stayed till the end to see his team through. Dhawan played a useful knock, running hard, picking the gaps and keeping the strike rotating.

Rishabh Pant, though, failed to get going.
It wasn’t exactly a trademark, fluent Gayle show but as long the West Indies batsman was at the crease, the Kotla crowd cheered as if he was batting for Delhi. While executing some of his powerful shots over mid-wicket — the ball sailed into the crowd on five occasions — Gayle regaled like old times.
In between Gayle’s heroics, though, Punjab lost three wickets in KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and David Miller by the eighth over. But just when Gayle was threatening to take the game away, leg-spinner Lamichhane claimed his wicket.