Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Match 35 Match Summary

Blockbuster Saturday continues - If you think the mayhem is done for the day, think again. Switch your tabs and follow the second game of the doubleheader. From the scorching heat of Delhi, we move to Jaipur. The Pink City is hosting the first game of the season for Match 36 between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. And RR have already gotten off to a flier, with Sooryavanshi unleashing his range hitting from the word go. That game also has got all the ingredients of being a run-fest with big hitters in both camps. But from here, we sign off. Cheers.

A run-fest in Delhi - Well, this brings the curtains down on a historic game and a chase that will be etched in everyone's memory for a very long, long time. All the mathematical possibilities were put to rest, and it was just another kind of day when you don't want to be a bowler. Such is the ruthlessness of this format and this tournament in particular. PBKS walk out victorious and remain the only side to face a defeat this season. Buoyed by this emphatic win, they will head back home with their heads up and spirits high to face Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, April 28 in New Chandigarh. Whereas Delhi Capitals have now lost two in a row, but this one will need them to do a lot of soul-searching to get back to winning ways. Also, the good news for them is that Lungi Ngidi is doing fine now and will be discharged from the hospital very soon. They will be hoping that he gets fit soon enough to take the field in their next game which will be against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. That game will be played on Monday, 27th April at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - KL RAHUL receives the award for his unbeaten and record-breaking knock of 152 from 67 balls. Rahul says he was very pleased at the end of the first 20 overs, adding that it was something he had been working on for a very long time behind the scenes. He takes a step back to reflect on how the T20 game has evolved. Says watching the T20 World Cup and seeing the way certain players approached their batting made him reassess his own game. He recalls a time when T20 cricket was slightly different and he, as an opener, could afford to take his time. But adds that the demand today is that the first six overs are the most important, and that forced him to sit back and evaluate where he stood. He says he stuck to being true to his game, and that in T20 cricket, the mindset he is in right now is that there is simply no time to leave things for later. Explains that in ODI cricket, you can afford to think about going next over, but in T20s, that luxury does not exist. He accepts that he has had to work really hard on his mental set-up to get to where he is today.

The victorious captain of Punjab Kings - Shreyas Iyer, on the run fest, says it was scorching hot out there in the field. He admits that watching the bowlers get hit for fours and sixes can make you lose your mind and leave you not knowing what to do in that situation. But he says he knew what the wicket was like. Shares that they had presumed it would turn, but reveals that after the Powerplay, when Yuzvendra Chahal came on to bowl, the ball was holding a bit but not creating enough of an impact. Iyer reserves special praise for KL Rahul, saying the way he played was fabulous and genuinely pleasing to the eye. On their mindset during and after the first innings, Iyer shares that the thinking was straightforward, as whatever total the opposition put up, they just had to score one more run and see to it that they came out victorious. On the discussion at the midway point, Iyer shares that they reminded themselves that in previous games, they had chased down scores of around 220 to 225 with overs or balls to spare. Adds that the mindset was simple. Get as many runs as possible in the Powerplay. Credits Priyansh and Prabhsimran for going bonkers from ball one and steadying the ship for the rest of the side. From there, he mentions, the others just needed to capitalise on the start that had been set for them. On the areas that need addressing, Iyer mentions that right now the priority is to go and have as much fun as possible and get some relaxation, because it has been three days of hard work, practising, and playing in the heat. He says they will probably rejuvenate for a day and then go back to the drawing board, looking at how they can plan successfully for the opponents they will be facing ahead.

... The post-match Presentation ...

PBKS' star opener is up for a chat - Priyansh Arya, on the gameplan, says the mindset was simple and adds that if they could score 80 in the powerplay, they knew they could easily get to 100 in the first six overs. On the pitch, he mentions that the surface was very good and he had initially thought 240 would be a competitive total. But adds that when they were set 265 to chase, the thinking shifted to doing well in the Powerplay and then chasing it down from there. On batting with Prabhsimran, Arya says he was enjoying every bit of it and simply wanted his partner to keep on hitting. On PBKS chasing so well this season, he reveals that Ricky Sir (Ricky Ponting) had told them they were the best team in the IPL so far and that they needed to give their best, and it could end up being an easy win. He says that it all came down to self-belief.

The captain of Delhi Capitals - Axar Patel reflects on this stinging defeat. On not managing to hold onto their chances, Axar is blunt. He says they keep making the same mistakes time and time again, and on a wicket as flat as this one, if you cannot support your bowlers, you deserve to lose. On dropping four catches, he reiterates the same point, saying that on a surface like this, failing to back your bowlers simply costs you the game. But he also turns the focus on the bowling unit, admitting that the fast bowlers did not bowl well in the Powerplay either. Accepts that because of the poor bowling and the shoddy fielding, the game slipped away. He feels that 264 was a really good score on this wicket.

Kotla witnessed a KLassic - KL Rahul was on just 12 when Shashank Singh grassed the first chance, then let off again on 51, and he made Punjab Kings pay in the most emphatic way possible. He finished unbeaten on 152, the third-highest score in IPL history and the highest ever by an Indian batter, with only Chris Gayle's 175 and Brendon McCullum's 158 standing ahead of him. The Delhi crowd was treated to some of the finest strokeplay seen on this ground, as Rahul looked positive from the very first ball. He lost Pathum Nissanka early but found the perfect partner in Nitish Rana, and the two of them put on 220 for the second wicket, the highest partnership in DC's IPL history. No bowler was spared, the run-rate soared, and Punjab Kings looked frazzled, not helping themselves with missed chances and sloppiness in ground fielding.

Up, up, and away - Is where the ball kept going through and through. But as the field spread, Delhi found their answer through spin. Axar and Kuldeep combined to good effect at just the right moment, ripping through the top order and sending Punjab Kings into a tailspin from 126/0 to 145/3 for three in the blink of an eye. But just when the game seemed to be slipping away from Punjab, in walked Shreyas Iyer. And then he unleashed. First in a 56-run stand with Wadhera, the two worked hard to rebuild while keeping up with an asking rate that had touched the moon. The intent was right there, though, and neither looked in any mood to stop. Despite Wadhera's departure, Iyer carried on with his carnage, helped in no small part by Karun Nair, who put him down twice. Had even one of those chances been taken, DC could still have pulled the chains off. But it wasn't to be and Iyer kept sprinkling salt on their wounds, making them pay in the most brutal way possible. He and Shashank held the finishing touches to hand DC their most stinging defeat.

Wham, bam, slam - Chasing 265, the Punjab Kings openers brought precisely the intent the chase demanded, carting the DC bowlers to all corners of the park with an ease that made it look almost unfair. Arya was handed a life when Ngidi grassed a chance, though the moment was overshadowed by the South African seamer suffering a nasty head injury and being stretchered off to hospital. When play resumed, neither opener was in any mood to slow down, and Punjab Kings closed the powerplay at a commanding 116 for none.

History scripted in Kotla - We have just witnessed the highest successful run chase in IPL history. The Punjab Kings have just eclipsed their own previous record of chasing 262 against KKR in 2024. And more importantly, how willingly they went about it. From start to finish, it was absolute carnage, a chase that never felt in doubt for long. Punjab Kings remain the only unbeaten side in this IPL season, and right now, they look like they are operating on a completely different stratosphere than everyone else. Spare a thought for KL Rahul though. His unbeaten 152 felt like it should have been more than enough to get Delhi back to winning ways, but it was completely overshadowed by what followed in the second innings. Honestly, it was DC's fielding that let them down. When you drop a player like Shreyas Iyer twice, the writing is on the wall. The absence of Lungi Ngidi, who was stretchered off earlier, was felt deeply, and this will be a very tough one for the hosts to take.

WIDE! GAME, SET, AND MATCH! What a run chase this has been by Punjab as they defeat DC by 6 wickets and 7 balls to spare. Short and way too wide outside off, Shashank Singh leaves it and the umpire calls it a wide.

SCORES ARE LEVEL. Low full toss, around off, Shreyas Iyer rolls this down to long off for a single.

SIX! An exhibition of six-hitting by Iyer. Low full toss, around off, Shreyas Iyer plants his back foot deep inside the crease and slogs this out of the park towards the deep mid-wicket region for a biggie.

Full toss, around the pads, Shashank Singh flicks this through mid-wicker for just one.

T Natarajan nails the wide yorker around off, SS has a swing at it but misses out.

FOUR! How nicely done! Natarajan misses the yorker and lands a low full toss outside off. Shashank is deep in the crease, shuffles across and scoops it beautifully between the keeper and short fine leg. It stays up momentarily before running away to the fence.

Punjab Kings need just 13 runs from the last 2 overs. Who will bowl the penultimate over? T Natarajan it shall be. 3-0-41-0 so far.

Slower one, full and around off, Shreyas Iyer drives this to extra cover for a dot.

Yorker, on middle and leg, SS flicks this to the right of deep mid-wicket for one run.

SIX! Slower one, short and around off, Shashank Singh goes back inside the crease and pulls this over the fence towards the cow corner region for a biggie. Just 14 needed of 14 balls now.

Another yorker, nailed on off, Iyer opens his bat face and guides this through backward point for a run. 20 needed off 15.

Yorker, around middle and leg, Singh has a big swing at it but manages to hit this off the inner half of his bat through square leg for one.

On a length, around the pads, Shreyas Iyer flicks this in the gap between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket and calls for two straightaway. Shashank Singh doesn't want to risk the second and settles for one.

The Kings are making it look like a stroll in the park now. The Capitals are left absolutely clueless. Munaf Patel, DC's bowling coach, is seen with a blank look in the Capitals' dugout. PBKS need just 23 runs from 18 balls now. Mukesh Kumar to bowl now. 2-0-45-0 so far are his bowling figures.

FOUR! 16 off the 17th over and PBKS are in touching distance now. Wide yorker, around off, Shashank Singh looks to slog this around the leg side but gets an outside edge that takes the ball over Mukesh Kumar at short third for a boundary.

Yorker, on middle and off, Iyer punts this down to long on for a single.

FOUR! It is raining boundaries again. Good length, wide of off, Iyer thumps this up and over the fielder at extra cover and the ball races to the fence for four.

SIX! Full toss, on middle and leg, Shreyas Iyer shuffles back and across and flicks this just over the fence towards the right of deep mid-wicket fielder for a biggie.

Wide yorker, around leg, Shreyas comes inside the line and looks to work this towards the fine leg region but misses out. The umpire doesn't call it a wide and Iyer asks for a review on that. The replay shows that Iyer has stepped a long way back and across as he looks to play his stroke before missing out. The TV umpire rules that had Iyer been in a normal stance, the ball would have struck his pads. Review lost.