CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Paceman Ishant Sharma bowled a splendid last over to help Delhi Capitals (DC) stun the table leaders and the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) by five runs in the 44th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Player of the Match and opening bowler Mohammed Shami had provided the ideal platform for GT to record their seventh win this season following a tremendous spell of bowling where he captured four wickets for 11 runs.
As a result, DC, who had elected to bat first, were restricted to 130 for eight from their 20 overs – the lowest total for a team batting first in IPL 2023.
However, Shami’s performance was overshadowed by Sharma, who was equal to the task as he defended 12 runs against two of the finest exponents of the game – Hardik Pandya and Rahul Tewatia.
In fact, dashing left-hander Tewatia had boosted GT’s chances of pulling off the game by hoisting fast bowler Anrich Nortje for three successive sixes in the penultimate over of the innings.
Tewatia’s hat-trick of sixes had brought the equation down from 30 off nine deliveries to 12 off six balls and GT were well set to complete another comprehensive victory.
But Sharma used all his experience and landed wide yorkers precisely to not concede a single boundary and dismiss Tewatia off the fourth ball as he ensured that the night will be remembered as much for his last over as for Shami’s scintillating spell.
Shami couldn’t have asked for better conditions to display his artistry. And he did so in style, decimating the Capitals’ order with a spell up front that read 4-0-11-4. He was lethal with his swing and seam position.
Earlier, Aman Khan and Axar Patel got together and mixed caution and aggression to steady the ship and take DC to 54 for five at the halfway mark and then brought up the 50-run stand off 54 balls.
Aman cracked a huge six off Mohit and then brought up his maiden IPL fifty off 41 balls as he got a standing ovation from the DC dugout.
Aman started off the penultimate over well, thumping a six over deep mid-wicket off the first ball from Rashid Khan and in process brought up the 50-run stand with Ripal Patel off just 26 balls.
Chief scores
Delhi Capitals: 130/8 in 20 overs (Axar Patel 27, Hakim Khan 51, Ripal Patel 23, Mohammed Shami 4/11, Mohit Sharma 2/33)
Gujarat Titans: 125/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 56, Abhinav Manohar 26, Rahul Tewatia 20, Khaleel Ahmed 2/24, Ishant Sharma 2/23).
