Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone, two Englishmen, took Punjab to win by adding 67 runs for the fifth wicket in seven overs while chasing a target of 174.
Last season, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone had fallen short of expectations given their hefty price tags. However, the two Englishmen proved their worth on Saturday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium as they struck a game-changing combination that helped Punjab Kings defeat Delhi Capitals by four wickets.
On 34, Curran was really fortunate when Tristan Stubbs dropped him off Kuldeep Yadav at long-on. He and Livingstone (38 not out) contributed 67 runs for the fifth wicket off seven overs, making the Capitals pay for their let-down. This set Punjab on the path to victory.
Once again, the match was lost by the Capitals due to their poor fielding performance. David Warner removed Harpreet Brar from Khaleel Ahmed after the medium pacer had grabbed two early wickets to give his team a chance.
After Ishant Sharma hurt his ankle, the Capitals were also short-handed in the bowls. Livingstone then sent Sumit Kumar over long on to give his team the victory.
Prior to this, impact player Abishek Porel had tremendous control over the game by forcing his way to a 32-run innings on 10 balls without losing. This gave the Capitals’ innings much-needed momentum.
His late charge against Harshal Patel, the Kings’ death-bowling specialist, allowed the Capitals to end with a respectable 174 for nine.
But Rishabh Pant’s much awaited return came to a disappointing end. The captain of the Capitals had flawless muscle memory, but his fluency was lacking. Early in the innings, he became fatigued attempting unconventional strokes and gave way to a ramp shot that wound up in Jonny Bairstow’s hands at backward point.
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, the Capitals’ opening batsmen, clattered boundaries off misfiring Kings’ speed bowlers after being put in to bat, giving their team a brisk start.