West Indian hard-hitter Rovman Powell bludgeoned his way to an unbeaten 67 off just 35 balls to help Delhi Capitals score 207/3 in 20 overs against SunRisers Hyderabad at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. Powell, who was promoted up the order, hit 6 sixes and three boundaries to give the perfect finish to Delhi's innings which was anchored by Australian opener David Warner.
Warner reserved his best for his former franchise as he slammed 12 boundaries and 3 sixes to remain unbeaten on 92 at the other end. The duo shared an unbeaten century stand to take DC to an imposing total. This is an important match for both teams as they look to move up the points table.
Warner, who hit his 4th fifty of IPL 2022 and created a world record for scoring most T20 fifties by overtaking Chris Gayle's record of 88 with his 89th fifty, was on 92 when the last over began and Rovman Powell could very well have given the strike to the southpaw to have a crack at a century. But being the team man that Warner is, he asked the youngster to not worry about taking a single and instead asked him to go hell for leather.
Powell hit one six and three boundaries as DC scored 19 off the last over to get a total in excess of 200. Powell revealed his conversation with Warner before the start of the final over in the mid-innings break.
"I was trying my best. I wanted him to get to a hundred, but he asked me to hit as hard as I could, and wasn't bothered about his own hundred (about Warner). Sometimes you plan for a particular ball, be it the slower or the yorker, but the pitch is so good and the ball was coming on nicely," Powell said.
He also said that he had asked DC skipper Rishabh Pant to let him bat up the order.
"I had a conversation with Pant a few days back in the hotel room, he asked me where I wanted to bat, I just asked him to have trust in me. I have improved my game against the spinners as well as the pacers, want to give myself a chance, play some 10-15 balls and then play the shots," he added.