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On a breezy Friday in Lucknow, the Delhi Capitals snapped the Lucknow Super Giants’ formidable streak of defending scores over 160 and vaulted themselves out of the IPL basement with a commanding six-wicket victory. The catalyst? None other than Kuldeep Yadav, returning from the sidelines, whose wizardry with the ball ripped through LSG’s lineup like a hot knife through butter.
As LSG opted to bat first, the crowd was buzzing, expecting another robust total. KL Rahul spearheaded the charge, firing a rapid 39 off 22, but then Kuldeep stepped into the spotlight. In a mesmerizing spell, he dismantled LSG’s core in just nine deliveries, sending Rahul packing and leaving LSG reeling at 77 for 5. The scoreboard
RCB found themselves in a bit of a pickle early on, stuttering at 23 for 2. It seemed like a classic case of stage fright, what with Jasprit Bumrah playing the grim reaper, sending Virat Kohli back to the pavilion with a mere three runs to his name. The scene was set by Bumrah’s devious concoction of swipes and edges that had Kohli looking more like a novice fisherman trying his luck than a seasoned batsman.
Enter stage left: Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar, RCB’s dynamic duo, tasked with reviving an innings that was more deflated than a beach ball at a porcupine party. Du Plessis, with the finesse of a seasoned artist, stayed leg-side and used his wrists like a maestro, painting strokes over the top, trying to prop up a sagging powerplay.
Patidar, on the other hand, wasn’t just quick off the blocks—he sprinted like a man who’d just realized he was late for his own wedding. He eclipsed du Plessis, smacking the ball with the gusto of a gourmet chef tenderizing his best cut. His fireworks culminated in back-to-back sixes off Gerald Coetzee, making the bowler’s figures look like they’d been through a shredder.
But as quick as the applause rose for Patidar’s half-century, Coetzee clawed back, bouncing out Patidar for an even 50 off 26 balls. It was a brief but brilliant cameo, like a shooting star that lights up the night sky before vanishing into the dark.
Delhi Capitals broke the chains of defeat and clambered out from the depths of the IPL 2024 table with a swaggering six-wicket victory. Kuldeep Yadav, returning from injury like a knight in shining armor, spun a web around the Lucknow Super Giants who’ve previously treated 160-plus scores as their personal fortress. But then, along came Jake Fraser-McGurk, the Aussie debutant, sparkling on his IPL stage debut with a half-century that made the chase look like a walk in the park, wrapping it up with 11 balls to spare.
LSG, having won the toss and opted to bat, stumbled through their innings like a vaudeville act, still managing to stumble past 160—a score they’d historically guarded like a dragon hoards treasure. KL Rahul lit the early fireworks with a brisk 39 off 22, but Kuldeep Yadav played the party pooper, gutting the middle order in a devastating spell that left LSG gasping at 77 for 5.
Just when the Capitals thought they’d coast to an easy victory, with LSG looking more dismantled at 94 for 7, Ayush Badoni and Arshad Khan stitched together a record eighth-wicket stand, pumping some much-needed adrenaline back into the innings.
DC’s own form—shaky at best, with four losses in their last five—looked precarious. But Prithvi Shaw started off the chase with some gutsy hits to calm the nerves, setting the stage for Fraser-McGurk. The young Melburnian blasted off like a rocket, his first scoring shot a mighty six over deep midwicket, paving the way for his whirlwind 31-ball fifty.
As DC’s chase thundered on, Fraser-McGurk’s bat spoke louder and louder, his innings peppered with monstrous hits that even Ricky Ponting, sitting in the dugout, would nod at approvingly. Despite a momentary lull against the spinners, he turned the screws on Krunal Pandya with three massive sixes, burying any hopes for LSG.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant, captain and linchpin, bore the weight of Capitals’ woes like Atlas. After Prithvi Shaw’s exit, Pant stepped up, his bat thundering with a massive six and crisp boundaries, keeping the scoreboard ticking alongside Fraser-McGurk’s pyrotechnics.
Back at the start, LSG had looked set for a grand total in the powerplay, their engines firing on all cylinders. But Kuldeep Yadav, fresh off the injury list, came back with a bang. His magic googlies bewitched Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, turning what looked like a solid start into a debacle.
As the innings neared its climax, Badoni channeled his inner Dhoni, pulling and sweeping to salvage pride and push the score past 160. But alas, the magic that usually protected such totals for LSG vanished into the night air, leaving Delhi to celebrate a night where they not only won the match but perhaps turned their season around.
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