Delhi Capitals 216 for 7 (Axar 56, Miller 51, Arshdeep 2-21) beat Punjab Kings 210 for 5 (Iyer 59*, Arya 56, Tiwari 2-40) by three wickets

Arya gives PBKS flying start

In the last few days, all the chatter about Arya had been around his dismissals against the short ball. But Mitchell Starc started with a full delivery outside off stump, perhaps looking for early movement. Arya lofted it over cover-point for a six. In the reverse fixture, too, he had opened his account with a first-ball six, that time off Nabi.

When Starc went short, it was too short and sailed over for five wides. Arya launched another six in the over before Prabhsimran Singh capped it off with a four. Starc went for 22, the most he has conceded in the opening over of a T20. He did not bowl another over until the tenth of the innings.

Arya showed no respect to Lungi Ngidi either, welcoming him into the attack with back-to-back sixes. By the end of three overs, PBKS had raced to 51 for no loss.

Nabi, Mukesh pull things back

The ball was still seaming around, and Nabi and Mukesh Kumar used it to put the brakes on the scoring rate. While Arya brought up his fifty off 24 balls, PBKS managed only 21 in the next three overs, with Nabi finishing the powerplay with a two-run over. Prabhsimran struggled for fluency for most of his innings and eventually fell to Mukesh for 18 off 15. Arya fell soon after, caught at deep cover off Tiwari, leaving PBKS at 97 for 2 after nine.

Iyer, Shedge take PBKS past 200

Iyer, batting at No. 3, started positively but Cooper Connolly was slow to get going. As a result, PBKS scored only 33 runs from overs 11 to 14. Connolly finally got his timing right and hit Starc over long-off for a 96-metre six in the 15th over. In the next, he took Ngidi for a four and a six off successive deliveries.

Iyer, anyway, was picking up regular boundaries. After a six-run 17th over by Mukesh, he hit Tiwari for two sixes, the first one taking him to his fifty off 32 balls. However, Tiwari removed Connolly in that over, and when Starc started the 19th by dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh off successive balls, it looked like the innings might peter out. But Suryansh Shedge hit the hat-trick ball over the bowler’s head for a six. He smashed another six and a four off Starc’s remaining three balls to take PBKS past 200.

Arshdeep, Thakur land early blows

Playing his first game of the season, Yash Thakur didn’t take long to make an impact. Bowling around the wicket in the second over of the innings, he uprooted Abishek Porel’s middle stump. From the other end, Arshdeep Singh dismissed KL Rahul with a short ball, Marco Jansen completing an excellent diving catch after running 28 metres from first slip towards fine leg. Iyer’s decision to give Arshdeep a third over in the powerplay also paid off as he cramped Sahil Parakh, who was charging down the pitch, with a short ball and had him caught at short third.

Axar and Tristan Stubbs stabilised the innings from 33 for 3. Stubbs was given a life on 9 when Arshdeep dropped him at long-on off Ben Dwarshuis. But Stubbs could add only three more to his tally. After a mix-up with Axar, he failed to beat Connolly’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end.

Axar, Miller revive DC

After Stubbs’ run out, DC were 74 for 4 in the ninth over. It could have been 74 for 5 a ball later but Shedge put down Axar at deep square leg. The DC captain, on 25 at that time, added 64 in 34 balls with Miller to revive the chase.

In dewy conditions, PBKS got the ball replaced after the 13th over. It didn’t bring much relief, though, and Axar hit Stoinis for a hat-trick of fours, bringing up his fifty on the way. However, attempting a six off the following ball, he holed out to long-on.

The end game

Seeing the game slipping away, Iyer brought Arshdeep back for the 15th over. He conceded only five, leaving 68 needed from five overs. PBKS seemed to be the favourites at that time. But Arshdeep had finished his four – it was the first time in his IPL or T20I career that he bowled out this early. The decision to not use Yuzvendra Chahal until then also robbed PBKS of flexibility.

Miller and Ashutosh took 15 off Jansen in the 16th over. Miller then muscled Dwarshuis for two sixes off the first two balls of the 17th to make DC the favourites. He fell off the next ball trying to hit another six but Ashutosh’s use of angles and Tiwari’s clean hitting shut the door on PBKS.