Dhawan leads clinical DC to 7-wkt win over PBKS

Ahmedabad, May 2, 2021

Shikhar Dhawan's 47-ball 69 helped a clinical Delhi Capitals (DC) ease to a seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday.

DC chased down the target of 167 runs with 14 balls to spare, as Dhawan anchored the chase and put up partnerships with Prithvi Shaw, Steve Smith, captain Rishabh Pant, and Shimron Hetmyer.

Shaw (39) and Dhawan put up an opening stand of 63 runs that ended when the former fell to Harpreet Brar off the first ball of the seventh over. Smith (24) then played an almost chanceless innings and put up 48 for the second wicket with Dhawan, who then took the attack to the bowlers in a 36-run stand with Pant (14).

Pant fell to Chris Jordan in the 17th over, and the chase was completed in the 18th in which Hetmyer hit Riley Meredith for two sixes and a four. DC were left with two runs to win, and they got those after Meredith bowled consecutive two wides.

Earlier, PBKS captain Mayank Agarwal's 99 not out propelled PBKS to 166/6 in 20 overs. Agarwal stepped in after captain KL Rahul was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and was admitted to a local hospital here.

Opener Agarwal became only the second batsman after Suresh Raina in 2013 to end an innings on 99.

He hit two fours and a six off the last three balls of the innings and out up a partnership of 52 runs for the third wicket with Dawid Malan (26) and a 41-run stand for the fifth wicket with Shahrukh Khan (4)

Brief scores: Punjab Kings: 166/6 wkts in 20 overs (Mayank Agarwal 99 not out, Dawid Malan 26; Kagiso Rabada 3/36) lost to Delhi Capitals: 167/3 wkts in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 69 not out, Prithvi Shaw 39; Harpreet Brar 1/19) by seven wickets with 14 balls remaining

IANS