DD 140-5 after 19 overs
Mahela 56, Pathan 19
DD win by 5 wickets with one over to spare. Easy in the end but there were some tense moments there. Kings XI didn’t help their cause with some bad fielding but that makes getting to the KO rounds pretty tough for them. The knock that probably did the trick for DD was from Ojha. He scored 34 and gave them the impetus. With this win, DD are now on 20 points and have qualified for the playoffs.
DD 126-5 after 18 overs
Mahela 43, Pathan 18
Pathan has won this for DD. 11 runs needed off 12 balls now. 15 runs came off the over as Pathan slammed three fours off Awana, who had been brilliant in his first three overs.
DD 95-5 after 14 overs
N Ojha c Mandeep Singh b Chawla 34 (29b, 3×4, 2×6)
Need 42 off 36. DD should win this. They need to play normal cricket. Normal ODI cricket and not even venture in T20 mode. That’s how easy it is. Piyush Chawla ball was so bad that Ojha probably couldn’t figure out where to hit it. Was caught right on the boundary.
DD 88-4 after 13 overs
Mahela 24, Ojha 33
Chawla gets smacked for two sixes by Ojha. Then he drops Ojha (on 32). It’s all Chawla and Ojha’s knock has given DD’s innings some good momentum.
DD 55-4 after 10 overs
Mahela 15, Ojha 9
Really slow stuff from Delhi but they can’t afford to lose any more wickets. They need to take it as close as possible before launching a big attack on the KXIP bowlers. Mahela will be key now.
DD 37-4 after 5.4 overs
R Taylor c Saini b Awana 0 (2b)
Wow. Taylor gone too. DD 37-4. Awana strikes twice in the same over. KXIP have a chance now. In fact, they have more than a chance now.
DD 37-3 after 5.2 overs
Y Venugopal Rao c Saini b Awana 7 (7b, 1×4)
Another tame dismissal. This hasn’t been your typical T20 match. Thick outside edge, easy catch for the keeper. Awana has bowled well.
DD 28-2 after 3.1 overs
V Sehwag b Awana 8 (9b, 1×6)
A couple of ball earlier, Sehwag was dropped by Hussey. This time though, there was no need to catch him. The ball hit the stumps off the pads and dislodged the bail. That was that. KXIP have a chance. Or do they?
DD 21-1 after 2.1 overs
D Warner c Azhar Mahmood b Kumar 14 (8b, 3×4)
Warne falls, skied it. But Sehwag is still there and that’s so dangerous. KXIP have made a good start but they need to hope that Delhi throw it away.
KXIP 136-8 after 20 overs
Hussey 40, Awana 4
KXIP have just not got enough runs on board. DD are very strong and KXIP doesn’t have the best bowling attack. For me, if Sehwag gets going, this will end in a hurry.
KXIP 126-8 after 18.1 overs
P Kumar run out 8 (5b, 1×4)
Another wicket and another very poor piece of cricket from KXIP. Hussey is batting well but no one wants to stay with him. Certainly not Praveen Kumar, who strolled from one end to the other and was run out. Shameful.
KXIP 117-7 after 17.1 overs
PP Chawla c Ojha b Yadav 10 (14b)
Hussey is having to fight a lone battle here. Everyone else seems to be falling in quick time. You wouldn’t really want to be in the KXIP skipper’s shoes.
KXIP 88-6 after 12.5 overs
Gurkeerat Singh st Ojha b Negi 8 (5b, 2×4)
Superb bowling by Negi. Great change of pace to fool the batsmen. KXIP are stuttering to defeat.
KXIP 80-5 after 11.5 overs
Azhar Mahmood c Pathan b Yadav 9 (7b, 1×4)
Someone needs to stay in there with David Hussey or Delhi are going to canter to a win here.
KXIP 63-4 after 9.4 overs
DA Miller run out 4 (7b)
It’s going downhill very quickly for KXIP. Negi was up and in close but Miller, who was not on strike, set off for a quick single. Classic case of him not knowing where the fielders were. Bad choice.
KXIP 54-3 after 7.2 overs
N Saini c Sehwag b Yadav 15 (15b, 2×4)
Good bowling by Yadav. That was in the corridor, moving away. The batsman pushed at it and Sehwag just about managed to hold on to the ball. Good stuff this. KXIP are in big trouble already. They don’t have the longest batting line-up.
KXIP 43-2 after 5.3 overs
Mandeep Singh c Sehwag b Aaron 21 (12b, 5×4)
Never ever call Sehwag fat. He can take some amazing catches. He has done it for India and today, he did it for DD. He went down low to his right and caught it well. That was a good catch.
KXIP 24-1 after 3.1 overs
SE Marsh c Ojha b Aaron 13 (15b, 3×4)
Wicket. Aaron’s pace does the trick. Gets a wicket with a ball down the leg-side. Naman Ojha took a good catch.
KXIP 19-0 after 2 overs
Marsh 13, Mandeep 4
KXIP are off to a quick start and that’s what you need against Delhi. Delhi has an attack that has a host of fast bowlers and if the batsmen get set, they can be taken for run. Shaun Marsh has shown the capability to hit the big knocks in the past and he will need to do that again.
Pre-game
David Hussey has won the toss and Kings XI will have a bat against the Virender Sehwag-led Delhi Daredevils at the Kotla.
For Kings XI, Harmeet Singh is back in the team and they will hope that their batting led by Shaun Marsh can make a difference here.
Shaun Marsh needs to fire for Kings XI. AP
Delhi also have a few changes in their line-up with Ross Taylor back in the mix. It is must-win game for both sides.
Squads
Delhi Daredevils
DA Warner, V Sehwag*, DPMD Jayawardene, LRPL Taylor, NV Ojha†, Y Venugopal Rao, IK Pathan, P Negi, M Morkel, VR Aaron, UT Yadav.
Kings XI Punjab
N Saini†, Mandeep Singh, SE Marsh, DJ Hussey*, Azhar Mahmood, DA Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, PP Chawla, P Kumar, P Awana, Harmeet Singh.
