Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2024: PBKS beat DC by four wickets despite late drama

Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2024: Punjab Kings got their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign started on a winning note with a four-wicket win against Delhi Capitals at home on Saturday. PBKS have now won their tournament openers in seven of eight seasons since 2017.

Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow gave the hosts a perfect start before both perished in rather quick succession. Sam Curran and Impact Sub Prabhsimran Singh recovered things with a stand for the third wicket. DC were made to pay for poor fielding with Curran dropped on 33 and Harpreet Brar in the end by David Warner. Khaleel Ahmed brought in some excitement with consecutive wickets in the penutlimate over but a dropped Brar chance possibly denied DC further breakthrough.

Liam Livingstone, however, got the job done with DC bowlers short after being forced to make a sub during their batting and then by losing Ishant Sharma to injury. Mitchell Marsh had a forgettable day with the ball, going for 52 runs from four overs.

Earlier, Abhishek Porel’s 25 runs in the last over gave DC a decent total of 174/9 to defend after losing much of their way before it. Warner, Marsh and Shai Hope gave Delhi a positive start but the middle order failed to contribute consistently.

Punjab Kings were good with the ball and equally effective in the field. Even if Harshal Patel let Rishabh Pant’s catch slip, he came back and dismissed the DC skipper in the very next over. Harshal had been good until the final over, taking two wickets. Arshdeep Singh also picking up two wickets.

Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings had won the toss and decided to field against Delhi Capitals at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh cricket stadium in Mullanpur.

Pant, making a comeback, says they would have batted if they had won the toss. Plenty of hugs all around as Pant makes a comeback from that horrific car accident in December 2022. “Really emotional time for me. Just want to enjoy the moment. Not thinking much,” he says at the toss.

Playing XI:

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Shashank Singh

Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ricky Bhui, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, Sumit Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma

PBKS vs DC, IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant’s comeback to the field will be the focal point as Delhi Capitals square off against Punjab Kings in their IPL opener on Saturday, with both teams aiming to overcome the disappointments of subpar performances in the previous season.

Pant’s incredible survival from a life-threatening car accident in December 2022 has transformed into a story of resilience as the wicketkeeper-batter recovered to return to action sooner than anticipated.

Pant has been given the green light to play as a keeper-batter and has the added responsibility of leading the team, reclaiming the role from David Warner, who guided DC to a ninth-place finish in the 10-team tournament last year.

According to DC coach Ricky Ponting, “He (Pant) has likely spent more time batting in the past week than in any previous IPL seasons. I believe he is aiming to rebuild trust in his body.”

It has taken Pant 15 months to be prepared to captain DC once again. His return is a significant boost for the team, whose best IPL finish to date is runners-up in 2020. It remains unclear whether Pant will resume his keeping duties immediately. If not, DC can turn to either Shai Hope or Tristan Stubbs.

Away from Pant, DC come into the season with a formidable fast bowling lineup supported by an explosive batting order. Warner, who recently retired from Test cricket, will be eager to make an impact and secure a place in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad. With players like Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Pant, and Stubbs, DC possesses a dynamic batting lineup, while their bowling attack will be spearheaded by Anrich Nortje alongside Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel.

Over on the other side, PBKS will be keen to put the past behind. The first step has been taken by moving to a new venue. PBKS have shifted their home to the newly-built Maharaja Yadavindra Singh cricket stadium in Mullanpur. Punjab’s trophy cabinet, like DC’s, remains empty. They reached the final only once, in 2014, where they were beaten by Kolkata Knight Riders.

After finishing sixth for four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022, PBKS slipped to eighth in 2023 and are eager to reverse their fortunes.

With Shikhar Dhawan at the helm, PBKS have a captain determined to make a statement after being overlooked by the national team. Jitesh Sharma has been appointed as the new vice-captain, but concerns loom over Jonny Bairstow’s form.

PBKS possess dynamic all-rounders in Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, and Rishi Dhawan, while their bowling attack will be led by Kagiso Rabada alongside Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, and Nathan Ellis.