IPL 2018, DD vs KXIP: Hits and Misses

After playing five away games, Delhi Daredevils returned to the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi to play their first home game of the season. There was big news at the toss as Chris Gayle missed out due to soreness. On the other hand, Delhi made a wholesome of changes.

Put into bat first, KXIP lost Aaron Finch early, but once again KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal looked good before both the batsmen fell after good starts. For the first time in the tournament, KXIP’s top-order had failed. Karun Nair and David Miller did get their eye in, but they fell trying to up the ante. KXIP managed just 143 as it was a very good bowling performance by the DD bowlers.

Chasing an under-par total, DD got off to a good start as debutant Prithvi Shaw struck a 10-ball 22. Despite the good start, the hosts lost three wickets inside the powerplay and were 48/3 after 6 overs. DD lost a couple more wickets as they were reduced 76/5 in 12 overs. But Shreyas Iyer and Rahul Tewatia kept the hosts in the hunt. Iyer took the game to the final over but Mujeeb held his nerve to give KXIP their fifth win of the season.

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#5 Hit: Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer kept DD in the hunt

If Delhi Daredevils got close in this game, it was because of Shreyas Iyer. The 23-year-old batsman has been in decent form. He was very good in the last game against RCB where he scored 52.

In this game, he batted at No. 4 and came into bat with DD 41/2. With 103 runs required, Iyer needed to bat through and take DD close. With wickets falling around him, he held one end up and kept rotating the strike, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Despite the required run-rate mounting, he looked pretty calm and was not too fussed. With 17 needed off the last over, he refused a single off the first ball and then struck a superb six to keep DD in the hunt.

But with Mishra at the other end, he denied another single to keep strike before he struck a vital boundary to reduce the equation to 5 off 1. But Iyer holed out as DD lost their fifth game of the season. But it was Iyer’s 57 that took DD so close.

#4 Miss: Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell was once again disappointing

Glenn Maxwell, who captained of Kings XI Punjab, was publically criticized by KXIP mentor Virender Sehwag for not taking responsibility as the team under-performed. He was also dropped from Australia’s ODI team this year. But he roared back into form with a Man of the Series performance in the Trans-Tasmanian tri-series. However, just before that, he was picked up by Delhi Daredevils for a whopping sum of Rs 9 crore.

However, Maxwell hasn’t had the best of starts to this IPL. He started with a couple of low scores but he did score a fluent 47. However, he once again failed in this game.

The Aussie batsman was promoted to No. 3 after Prithvi Shaw had given DD a good start. Maxwell started with a nice boundary to mid-wicket off his first delivery. He then struck a very good six over square-leg off Andrew Tye and it looked like Maxwell was in good touch. However, he once again fell to a poor shot as he tried to hoick a shortish delivery from Ankit Rajpoot. With no pressure of the run-rate, it was a reckless shot from Maxwell as he let his team down with his shot selection yet again.

#3 Hit: Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett had a wonderful debut

Just before the start of this season, Delhi Daredevils were dealt with a huge blow as Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. However, they named Liam Plunkett as the replacement for the South African quick. Plunkett has been in some wonderful form in white-ball cricket. He’s taken 40 wickets in 21 ODIs since the start of 2017.

The Yorkshire pacer had to wait for two weeks (five games) to get his opportunity. But once he got the chance, he grabbed it with both hands as he bowled excellently and took 3/17 in his four overs.

He came in place of Jason Roy for DD’s first home game of the season and made an impact straight away. After being struck for a boundary by KL Rahul, the 33-year-old England pacer deceived Rahul with a slower ball and had him caught at short fine-leg. He had a wicket in his very first IPL over.

He then came back to dismiss Mayank Agarwal in his second over as he shattered the latter’s stumps. He came back at the death and took the wicket of Karun Nair as he conceded only 9 runs in his last two overs. He also took a good catch to dismiss David Miller as he capped off a wonderful debut.

#2 Miss: Yuvraj Singh

After today's game, Yuvraj Singh has scored just 50 runs in 4 innings.

Yuvraj has been under a lot of pressure in recent times. He’s had fitness and form issues over the last few months. He hasn’t been in the best of forms in this IPL as he has been troubled by pace. After scoring just 36 runs in 3 innings at a poor strike-rate of 92.31, Yuvraj didn’t bat in the last two games.

But after the KXIP top-order was back in the dressing room early, Yuvraj batting at No. 5 walked out to the middle in the 8th over. He was looking iffy once again. He looked out of touch as he struggled to get going. The Punjab batsman got to 10 off 15 deliveries before he got an under-edge which went past the stumps for a boundary. However, Yuvraj was caught behind for 14 as Avesh Khan got rewards for some good bowling.

With the likes of Manoj Tiwary waiting in the wings, the pressure is mounting on Yuvraj and with repeated failures, his place in the side is surely under threat.

#1 Hit: Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Mujeeb Ur Rahman was excellent throughout the game.

This 17-year-old spinner from Afghanistan is creating headlines. Mujeeb Ur Rahman has just turned 17 but he has already played 15 ODIs and has taken 35 wickets. For Kings XI Punjab, playing his debut IPL season, he’s been brilliant. He’s been one of their go-to bowlers and Ravichandran Ashwin has been giving him the difficult overs.

The 17-year-old mystery spinner came onto bowl in the 9th over and struck immediately. He foxed an in-form Rishabh Pant with a superb carrom ball to knock over the DD wicket-keeper. He bowled two overs in his first spell and had figures of 2-0-5-1. He then came back to bowl in the 15th over and conceded 8 runs in his third over to maintain the pressure.

But it was the last over where he held his nerve as he defended 17 runs to help KXIP register their fifth win. Despite going for a six, Mujeeb kept his cool and bowled a pretty good final over. He finished with figures of 2/25 which was his best figures of the tournament.