In the IPL 2019 Eliminator on Wednesday, May 8, Delhi Capitals displayed the very feature that made many doubt them early in the season – the susceptibility of their batsmen to collapse.
Image credit: AFP
Yet, somehow, they made it to the Qualifier 2, where the young side will meet their polar opposites – the veterans’ unit Chennai Super Kings.
How any of this will pan out is anybody’s guess, but plenty guessed right when they said Sunrisers Hyderabad wouldn’t make the most of their lifeline play-off spot. And no, we really meant it when we said, ‘no prizes for guessing’.
What’s hot
.@RishabPant777 opens up to Shreyas Iyer about his power-packed batting in Vizag. Watch the @DelhiCapitals captain bring out some gully rap for ‘bantai’, Pant bhai ? By @28anand. #DCvSRH
Kya bolte hai @RanveerOfficial bhai, Shreyas ka rap kaisa laga?? –https://t.co/DjA4iZLkuv pic.twitter.com/H0HoYtTgms
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2019
The youth brigade. This whole season has been about making a statement for Delhi. From their new ownership to a new brand name, but one thing they crucially retained was the onus on youth in this Delhi side. And more than anything else, it’s their youngsters who are trumpeting that statement.
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Take the Eliminator. It was the 21-year-old Keemo Paul’s 3-32 that kept Hyderabad under check – they managed 162/8. Delhi’s chase was set up by Prithvi Shaw – the 19-year-old – with a 38-ball 56, and then Rishabh Pant, 21, scored a 21-ball 49 to take them to the brink.
Of course, it’s Pant’s relative inexperience that caused him to nearly throw it all away with a one-handed shot – his wicket nearly cost Delhi the game. It didn’t, eventually, but even if it did, it wouldn’t have changed the fact that Delhi’s empowering of youth has been one of the big features of the season.
What’s not
[caption id=”attachment_105456″ align=”alignnone” width=”1024″]
Amit Mishra was dismissed obstructing the field[/caption]
Bizarre dismissals. There were a couple of those. First, it was Deepak Hooda’s run out, with two balls to go in the Hyderabad innings. The batsman missed a wide slash and as Pant, from behind the stumps, looked to hit the non-strikers’ stumps, Hooda collided with Paul, the bowler.
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As it turned out, Pant’s throw clattered into the stumps, and Hooda was caught short. There was pressure on Shreyas Iyer to withdraw the appeal, given the collision. But Pant managed to convince him it was all within the laws of the game. That was exhibit A.
Things then hotted up in the Delhi chase, with two balls left in the match, when Mishra ran for a desperate single. Khaleel Ahmed, the bowler, gathered and threw at the stumps, and though he missed the stumps, he still appealed, because Mishra seemed to try and get in between the bowler and the stumps. Replays confirmed Mishra’s intent, and he was on his way back.
There’s only so much drama one can take.
What they said
Unconfined joy in the @DelhiCapitals camp ?#DC now play CSK in Qualifier 2 for a place in the final on Friday. #DCvSRH pic.twitter.com/U0PkOXs1A7
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 8, 2019
“Those last two overs it was like hell, to be honest.”
– Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer thought his side had thrown it all away.
What they didn’t say
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Chennai will have it tough against Delhi[/caption]
“At least they don’t have Rabada anymore …”
– Chennai Super Kings, attempting to look at the positives.
What’s next
Supernovas v Velocity. Mithali Raj-led Velocity will hope to make it two wins in two, but not if Harmanpreet Kaur has something to say about that.
