Delhi Capitals crushes Gujarat Titans by six wickets; Mukesh, Ishant and Stubbs shine

Delhi Capitals handed the Gujarat Titans a six-wicket thrashing in their Indian Premier League match at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Wednesday. A stellar bowling effort from DC, where five of the six bowlers conceded less than six-an-over, saw GT being shot out for 89, its lowest total in the IPL. DC chased down the target with more than 11 overs to spare to record back-to-back wins for the first time this campaign.

Jake Fraser-McGurk scored a typically brisk 10-ball 20, that included a majestic first-ball six— straight over debutant speedster Sandeep Warrier’s head.

Abhishek Porel, Shai Hope and Rishabh Pant matched Fraser-McGurk’s aggression as DC zoomed up to sixth in the table from a lowly ninth. Asked to bat first, GT had a horror PowerPlay, being reduced to 30 for four. Skipper Shubman Gill was caught in the cover; the returning Wriddhiman Saha chopped one on and B. Sai Sudharsan was run out while attempting a suicidal single.

The next two wickets, that of maverick batter David Miller and Abhinav Manohar, were fully Rishabh Pant’s. The wicketkeeper acrobatically dived to his left to snap up Miller off Ishant Sharma (2/8) and then effected a split-second stumping to send Abhinav back. At 47 for five, GT had to summon Shahrukh Khan as an Impact Player, but the burly man from Tamil Nadu left without leaving a trace, stumped first ball off a delivery that slid down the leg-side.

Pant was lucky, for the ball ricocheted on to the wicket off his leg. But Shahrukh was at fault too, for he made no attempt to push his foot back in. Tristan Stubbs was the only bowler who conceded more than run-a-ball, but dismissed both Abhinav and Shahrukh in the solitary over he bowled. Only Rashid Khan (31, 24b, 2x4, 1x6) showed a semblance of fight and it was the Afghan who smashed the only six of the innings, as late as the 17th over when he sent Kuldeep Yadav soaring wide of long-off.