Finance
At their new home ground, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, on Saturday, Punjab Kings got their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign off to a flying start with a four-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone played starring roles with the bat.
The two North Indian sides engaged in a seesaw struggle, with PBKS consistently winning, particularly when Ishant Sharma of the Delhi Capitals left the game due to a twisted right ankle sustained during fielding. With the exception of a brilliant Kuldeep Yadav, it meant that DC’s bowlers weren’t very good, and their problems were made worse by dropped catches.
At their new home ground, the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, on Saturday, Punjab Kings got their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign off to a flying start with a four-wicket win over Delhi Capitals. Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone played starring roles with the bat.
The two North Indian sides engaged in a seesaw struggle, with PBKS consistently winning, particularly when Ishant Sharma of the Delhi Capitals left the game due to a twisted right ankle sustained during fielding. With the exception of a brilliant Kuldeep Yadav, it meant that DC’s bowlers weren’t very good, and their problems were made worse by dropped catches.
DC suffered a big blow when Ishant walked off the field after badly twisting his right ankle while trying to throw the ball from the deep. The 42-run stand between Prabhsimran and Curran ended in the tenth over when the former went for a loft on a googly from Kuldeep Yadav and holed out to long-on.
Two overs later, Jitesh Sharma was stumped by Pant while going for a reverse sweep off Kuldeep Yadav. Curran was handed a lifeline at 34 when Tristan Stubbs spilled his catch at long-on off Kuldeep in the 14th over. To rub salt in the wounds, Curran slapped and pulled Marsh for two fours in the next over, with Livingstone ending the 18-run over it a massive six heaved over mid-wicket.
Following Curran’s fifty in forty-eight balls, Livingstone hit two fours off Khaleel to put PBKS in contention. Following another 18-run over for PBKS, Curran continued to find boundaries, hooking and cutting off Marsh for six and four before Livingstone hooked him for a six.
After losing his 67-run standoff with Livingstone at 42 balls, Khaleel recovered by dismissing Curran with his slower ball and then outing Shashank Singh for a golden duck on back-to-back deliveries. Warner could have taken his third wicket of the 19th over had he not dropped Harpreet Brar at long on. Livingstone began their assault with a spectacular swing over mid-wicket for six against Sumit to cap off the chase.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 174/9 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 33, Abishek Porel 32 not out; Arshdeep Singh 2-28, Harshal Patel 2-46) lost to Punjab Kings 177/6 in 19.2 overs (Sam Curran 63, Liam Livingstone 38 not out; Kuldeep Yadav 2-20, Khaleel Ahmed 2-43) by four wickets.
Source:IANS
