Shikhar Dhawan spoils KL Rahul’s birthday party with a blistering 92

KL Rahul’s birthday party did not go as planned, as DC pushed their way past PBSK by chasing down the target of 196 with 6 wickets in hand. Shikhar Dhawan made the chase a walk in the park for DC with his 92 off 49 balls, while KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal shone with the bat for the Kings. The super Sunday run-fest culminated at the Wankhede with almost 400 runs scored during the match.
Delhi Capitals fielded a team worth Rs 42.8 Crores during the match while Punjab Kings had men worth Rs 51.25 Crores on the field.

Here is a look at the performance of the players with the highest price tag in the match.

Rishabh Pant (Rs.15 Crores)

Though he wasn’t at his flamboyant best scoring only 15 runs off 16 balls with a solitary six, the Delhi Capital captain deserves some extra points for winning the toss and electing to bowl. At one point in time, the strong PBSK batting line-up was looking to take the score beyond 220 but due to his smart bowling moves, DC was able to restrict Punjab Kings for 195, a below-par score on this wicket.

Ravichandran Ashwin (Rs 7.60 Crores)

The Veteran Indian bowler had an uneventful day at the office. Bowling economically, Ashwin gave only 28 runs off his 4 overs without any wickets to his name.

Shikhar Dhawan (Rs 5.20 Crores)

Missing his third IPL century by only 8 runs, Dhawan was the mainstay of DC’s batting. Pulping PBSK’s bowling at will, he made a mockery of the boundaries. During his 92 runs innings, he hit 2 sixes and 13 fours scoring at the strike rate of 187.76. On the back of the opening stance of 59 runs between Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, DC was able to score above the required run rate and set the base for this chase. For scoring the match-winning 43rd IPL fifty of his career, Dhawan won the man of the match award. He also became the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 186 runs from 3 matches, earning him the orange cap.

Marcus Stoinis (Rs 4.80 Crores)

The big Aussie played the kind of innings, that the DC management had in mind while retaining him in the squad. The batting all-rounder played the perfect finisher’s innings, smartly rotating the strike with Lalit Yadav (12 off 6 balls) and taking calculated risks to ensure victory for DC. Stoinis remained unbeaten till the end scoring 27 off 13 balls with 3 boundaries and 1 six.

The Punjab Kings started the match on a positive note with an opening partnership of 122 runs, but could only add 73 runs from the last eight overs. PSBK bowlers also had a forgettable outing, allowing DC to chase down the target with 10 balls to spare.

Jhye Richardson (Rs 14 Crores)

The 4th most expensive player this season and the highest buy for PBSK had a below-par outing against DC. Known for his express pace and pinpoint accuracy, Richardson looked only a shadow of himself giving away 41 runs of his 4 overs. The saving grace was his wickets of Dhawan and Pant.

KL Rahul (Rs 11 Crores)

The PBSK captain had a great start to his birthday, scoring his 23rd IPL fifty. During the 61 runs innings off 51 balls, Rahul played sensibly but failed to accelerate at the end resulting in PBSK falling short of a winning total by at least 20-30 runs.

Riley Meredith (Rs 8 Crores)

The Tasmanian pacer had a fate similar to his fellow Aussie pacer Richardson. Meredith bowled all over the place and his consistent pace of above 140 KMPH only made the ball come easier onto the bat for DC batsmen. Meredith gave away 35 runs in 2.2 overs picking up the consolation wicket of Steve Smith (9 off 12 balls)

Shahrukh Khan (Rs 5.25 Crores)

The Tamil Nadu batsman was the only big buy player who performed as per expectation during the match. Brining his ability to use the long handle to the fore, Khan scored 15 runs off just 5 balls, with 2 fours and 1 gigantic six.

The only noteworthy performances for PBSK came from players worth only a fraction of the price tag of the players mentioned above.

Mayank Agarwal (Rs 1 Crore)

With his explosive batting at the top of the order, Agarwal took PBSK off to a flier. Scoring at the strike rate of 191.67, Mayank scored 69 off just 36 balls studded with 7 fours and 4 sixes.

Deepak Hooda (Rs 50 Lakhs)

Hooda was roped into PBSK for his powerful striking ability. In the 3 innings played for PBSK Hooda scored 96 runs at the strike rate of 171.42, with one fifty. Continuing his form with the bat, Hooda scored 22 off 13 balls with 2 sixes. But unfortunately, it was not enough for PBSK to put up a fight against the mighty DC batting line-up.

Punjab Kings would look to redeem themselves in their next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 21st April. While Delhi Capitals, currently 2nd on the points table, will face 3rd placed MI on 20th April.