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That's it for our coverage from this match, folks! Punjab generally don't get off to such good starts in IPL and this would fill the team with a lot of positivity going forward in the season. Capitals need some luck and need to put in a lot more work behind the scenes too. Right now, please feel free to switch tabs and check out the KKR-SRH game. It's the pair of Rudransh and Arya signing off!
Sam Curran is the Player of the Match: Very pleased, amazing way to start the tournament at our new home. Those two (Kuldeep and Axar) are world-class bowlers, we thought we could take it deep because they were a bowler short. Amazing to finish the game alongside my mate Liam. I needed to take my chances. The wicket got slightly better under the lights. Not much pace on it. We've got some great options and nice additions this season, good for the captain too.
Shikhar Dhawan (Punjab Kings captain): Yeah it feels great. I was happy to be on the ground. I was preparing for this tournament. Playing competitive cricket after the last IPL so I was a bit nervous. That time I didn't chat with anyone as I was supposed to go with batting. Bowlers go with their own emotions. We will chat later and see what we can improve on. We leaked a few extra runs. It was just the first game so it's normal. We got off to a good start. Sam played a brilliant knock and then Livi finished it off in style. It is a new ground so the focus was on using our brain and accessing the field. Very very happy and content.
Liam Livingstone: I thought we did a lot well actually. Our spinners dragged it back well in the middle and the seamers adapted well to conditions. I think the pitch got better as the lights came on and the toss probably came on. Nice start to the tournament. The bowlers bowled really well in the lead-up and the practice games as well. I think we've got a lot of options. Our bowlers were really great today, we got off to a great start. We were pretty happy midway through and were hoping the pitch would get better under lights. And it did. First time I've batted for longer in a while. Coming back to this environment and group, they have a lot of confidence in me. That little bit of work has helped me and hopefully this is the start of a good tournament. He (Curran) played brilliantly. It's like we've got options - Sam may bat 4, 5 or 6 but we're going to be nice and flexible as the tournament goes on.
Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals captain): Not the first time I was feeling nervous. Happy about that but at the same time I think we had a par score. We were already one bowler short because of the Impact Player substitution and then Ishant's injury left us even short. But can't do much about it, it's part and parcel of the game. The wicket played exactly how we expected it to. We won't make any excuses but having one bowler short wasn't ideal. Well played to them though. It was an amazing innings (by Porel). It set the innings up for us. Congratulations to him - he's pretty new but the impact he made was pretty big. Really looking forward to him this season.
Punjab Kings kick off their IPL 2024 with a four-wicket win!
A massive, massive win for the Kings! It feels like ages since they last won a game as topsy-turvy as this one. Delhi Capitals would feel they were very unlucky but would also know that it felt like they were always chasing the game since the middle-order capitulation in the first innings.
Impact Sub Porel proved to be a good choice when he gave DC those bit of extra runs to work with. But that also meant they were a bowler short in the second innings. That, and a lack of an in-form quick allowed PBKS to get off to a quick start. Ishant Sharma got them the first wicket and affected a run-out to get another but then came the big moment - he pulled something up while fielding and had to be helped out of the wicket.
Already short on the resources, Marsh and debutant Sumit Kumar had to fill-in and that was not ideal, especially against a brilliant-looking Sam Curran who timed his innings to perfection. Kuldeep gave hope with his brilliant spell, Axar was ineffective and Khaleel, after leaking a lot of runs, came back to pick up the couple of wickets but by that time, it was too little, too late. Livingstone took advantage of Kumar's inexperience and finished things off in the last over.
19.2 Sumit Kumar to Liam Livingstone, SIX! Livingstone ends the match in style. A win by 5 wickets for the Punjab Kings. That was a length delivery from Sumit, around off and middle, Livingstone holds his shape and swings it across the line, makes great connection as the ball goes sailing over the deep midwicket fence.
19.1 Sumit Kumar to Liam Livingstone, on a good-length a tad outside off, Livingstone hangs back and carves it away towards the cover fielder.
19.1 Sumit Kumar to Liam Livingstone, another wide on this occasion. Banged in short and goes well above the head of Livingstone. The equation getting easier for Punjab Kings.
19.1 Sumit Kumar to Liam Livingstone, Sumit starts the final over with a wide. Slower short of a length delivery outside off, has to be reloaded.
DAVID WARNER HAS PUT IT DOWN! TWO WICKETS IN THAT OVER AND HE HAS PUT DOWN THE THIRD! You can't write this up. DC just not grabbing the moments today. Six required off the last over. PBKS don't have the batting depth but Livingstone would be on strike against Sumit Kumar.
19
overs
169/6score
1
1
W
W
0
2
runs
Harpreet Brar*
2(2)
Liam Livingstone
32(19)
Khaleel Ahmed
2/43
18.6 Khaleel Ahmed to Harpreet Brar, David Warner has put down a sitter here. Could have been a massive moment in the game. End of the over and only four runs coming off that. Again a short one from Khaleel and Brar goes for the pull, ends up slicing it from the outside half of the bat, was straight to David Warner who was running in from long-on, spills it which allows Brar to take a couple of runs.
18.5 Khaleel Ahmed to Harpreet Brar, slower back of a length delivery a shade outside off, Brar tries to carve it away over the point or the third man region, gets beaten.
This would be the craziest bowling performance if Khaleel takes a hat-trick here... Harpreet Brar, LHB, to face it
Wow! Are we in for a twist in the tale? Pant says that's what he wanted him to bowl!
18.4 Khaleel Ahmed to Shashank Singh, WICKET! The short delivery working for Khaleel as he picks another wicket. Banged in short, was a pace on delivery and Shashank Singh tried to take it on. Goes for the pull shot but ended up playing it late. Thuds onto his gloves as he goes for the pull and ends up ballooning it up in the air, one of the easiest catches for Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
Shashank Singh c Rishabh Pant b Khaleel Ahmed 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6)
Shashank Singh, RHB, comes out
Too little too late? He should have tried to hit the stumps a lot more earlier.
18.3 Khaleel Ahmed to Sam Curran, WICKET! Is there still a twist left in the tale? Khaleel Ahmed with a change of pace on that occasion and strikes timbers. The breakthrough comes for the Capitals but it might just too late. That gripped on the surface and Curran was way too early into his shot, an almighty swing across the line, was a bit early and ends up missing it completely only for the stumps to get rattled.
Sam Curran b Khaleel Ahmed 63 (47b, 6x4, 1x6)
18.2 Khaleel Ahmed to Liam Livingstone, fuller-length delivery outside off, Livingstone tries to cream it through covers, loses his shape and ends up inside edging it towards the long-on region for a single.
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M Marsh
S Dhawan
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Harpreet Brar
*
Khaleel Ahmed
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh
