DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Left-handers Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran both failed while seamer Sheldon Cottrell shone as Delhi Capitals edged Kings XI Punjab in a dramatic tied contest determined by the super-over at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here yesterday.
Sent in, Delhi notched 157 for eight off their 20 overs with Australian Marcus Stoinis top-scoring with a whirlwind 53 from 21 balls and captain Shreyas Iyer stroking a patient 39 from 32 deliveries.
Hetmyer, in his first innings for the Capitals, managed only seven while Cottrell proved superb with two for 24 from four overs.
In reply, Pooran perished without scoring but opener Mayank Agarwal smashed 89 from 60 balls before becoming one of two wickets to fall to the last two deliveries of the innings with a single run required for victory.
Pooran then failed again in the super-over, one of two wickets to go down as Kings XI managed only two runs, paving the way for Rishabh Pant to easily put Delhi past their target with three balls remaining.
Hetmyer had earlier joined openers Prithvi Shaw (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (0) with single figure scores as Delhi slumped to 13 for three at the end of the fourth over.
Iyer and Pant, who made 31, then combined in a 73-run fourth wicket stand to stabilise the innings before Stonis arrived in the 14th over to blast seven fours and three sixes and hand Delhi a strong finish.
Cottrell’s new-ball partner, Mohammed Shami, finished with three for 15 from four miserly overs.
Agarwal gave his side a solid start to their run chase, putting on 30 for the first wicket with captain KL Rahul (21) before five wickets tumbled for 25 runs in the space of 34 deliveries to leave the Kings XI innings in strife.
Pooran, who struck his maiden Twenty20 hundred in the Caribbean Premier League which finished earlier this month, was third out in the sixth over bowled by off-spinner Ravi Ashwin after facing only three deliveries.
Agarwal, who counted seven fours and four sixes, came to his side’s rescue by anchoring a sixth wicket stand with Krishnappa Gowtham (20) worth 46 and a subsequent seventh wicket partnership with Barbados-born England all-rounder Chris Jordan (5) worth 56.
With 13 runs needed from the final over, Agarwal lashed 12 from the first three deliveries before Delhi hit back spectacularly.
