Tata IPL 2024 Match 26, LSG Vs DC – Match Report

April 13, 2024

Delhi Capitals (DC) returned to the winning column in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 with an impressive display at the Bharat Ratna Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. They defeated the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets, securing their second win in this year’s tournament.

LSG’s batting innings had a two-part narrative. Initially, DC bowlers staged a remarkable comeback, asserting control over the match. Later, LSG showed resilience, especially in the second half, as their lower-order batsmen contributed significantly, providing their bowlers a competitive target to defend.

Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul began the innings aggressively during the powerplay, establishing a strong tempo. De Kock scored 19 runs off 13 deliveries before being dismissed leg-before by Khaleel Ahmed. Khaleel continued his impact by removing Devdutt Padikkal, also leg-before, two overs later for DC.

LSG captain Rahul showcased excellent form right from the start, maintaining an aggressive rhythm throughout. One standout moment was his elegant six over cover. He was solidifying LSG’s innings alongside Marcus Stoinis until DC brought in Kuldeep Yadav in the eighth over, where Yadav made a notable impact.

Beginning his spell, Kuldeep forced an outside edge off Stoinis’s bat, resulting in an easy catch at point. Then, he dismissed the dangerous Nicholas Pooran with a beautiful wrong’un, sending him back for a golden duck. This double blow reduced LSG to 66 for four. Consequently, they brought in Deepak Hooda as the Impact Player, substituting de Kock.

LSG faced increasing challenges as Kuldeep claimed the wicket of Rahul, who scored 39 runs off 22 balls, while attempting a cut shot but only managing to edge the ball to the wicketkeeper. Subsequently, Hooda and Krunal Pandya were also dismissed, leaving LSG struggling at 94 for seven after 13 overs.

Ayush Badoni anchored the innings, finding valuable support from Arshad Khan. Badoni initially rotated the strike before accelerating in the slog overs. With powerful strokes, he hit five fours and a massive six, contributing significantly to LSG’s recovery. Meanwhile, Arshad remained unbeaten on 20 at the other end. Badoni’s innings culminated in an unbeaten 55, marking his first half-century of the year and propelling LSG to a total of 167. After their previous match against Gujarat Titans (GT), LSG would have been confident in their ability to defend this score.

DC’s batsmen started their run-chase with confidence, especially Prithvi Shaw, who had a positive beginning. However, David Warner’s innings was short-lived as he was dismissed for eight runs while trying to scoop the ball, which then hit his body and dislodged the stumps. Yash Thakur provided the first breakthrough for his team.

This introduced Jake Fraser-McGurk to the batting crease. This young Australian batsman has gained recognition in domestic cricket and recently debuted internationally for his country. He holds the record for the fastest century in senior men’s representative cricket overall, achieving a 29-ball century in a List A match. His reputation was evident on the second ball when he effortlessly hit a short delivery from Yash Thakur for a six over mid-wicket.

Shaw maintained his aggressive batting style, quickly scoring 32 runs off 22 balls, including six impressive boundaries. His elegant straight drive for four highlighted his batting class and skill. However, his innings came to an end in the seventh over when he was caught by Pooran off Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling.

Rishabh Pant entered the crease to partner with Fraser-McGurk, and their partnership significantly shifted the momentum in favor of DC. Their 77-run partnership off 46 balls aggressively attacked the bowlers and paved the way for DC’s victory. Fraser-McGurk’s dynamic performance not only delighted the audience but also garnered him a host of new fans.

The standout moment of the innings was Fraser-McGurk’s aggressive approach against Pandya. Despite facing an experienced bowler known for his tight bowling, Fraser-McGurk confidently hit three consecutive sixes, including a couple of flat-bat shots. His aggressive batting prompted Pandya, a spinner, to resort to bowling a bouncer, a rare sight in spin bowling.

Fraser-McGurk achieved a half-century on his debut and acknowledged the DC dugout, signaling their near-certain victory. His innings included two boundaries and five sixes. At the moment of his dismissal, DC had reached 140 runs in the 15th over, just a step away from securing victory.

On the opposite end, Pant played a crucial role, scoring 41 runs off 24 balls. His innings was aggressive, maintaining a high strike rate while also showing reliability, complementing Fraser-McGurk’s flamboyant performance. Following their strong partnership, DC found it relatively straightforward to close out the match with 11 balls remaining.

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