IPL 2024 – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat TItans – Pant, Stubbs, Rashid and two manic finishes ball-by-ball commentary

Another day in the IPL, another game full of runs, big hits, and of course, barely believable drama. Delhi Capitals were up first, and helped themselves to a total of 224, thanks in large part to Tristan Stubbs and Rishabh Pant, who plundered 53 runs off the last two overs.

Sai Kishore into the attack to bowl the 19th. A right-hander’s presence helps Gill introduce Sai. From around to Stubbs.

18.1

Sai Kishore to Stubbs, 1 run Full and wide of off, and he leans into pushing this to deep point

Stays around to Pant

18.2

Sai Kishore to Pant, 1 run Pant falls over, but manages to swipe this low full toss on middle and leg to fine leg

18.3

Sai Kishore to Stubbs, FOUR runs Drilled between long-off and deep point! Seemed like Sai went for a variation, and bowled full and wide of off. Neither fielder moved, as Stubbs thrashed that back

18.4

Sai Kishore to Stubbs, SIX runs Just clears deep square leg! Sai angled this in, and bowled another full toss. This one dipped on middle, but Stubbs had his front leg out of the way in swiping at that

18.5

Sai Kishore to Stubbs, FOUR runs Finds the gap again between long-off and deep point! He swats at this short-of-a-length ball around sixth stump, and rams that wide of long-off

18.6

Sai Kishore to Stubbs, SIX runs Smashed over long-on! GT were hiding Sai all this while, waiting for a right-hander to arrive, but Stubbs shows what he can do to spin. Again clears his front leg, and clubs this length ball angling into the stumps for a huge hit.

19.1

Mohit to Pant, 2 runs Well fielded by Sai, who moves and dives to his left from deep point! He keeps it to two, as Pant looked to loft this slower ball, which was on a full length, and wide-ish of off. No pace to work with for Pant, though

19.2 1w Mohit to Pant, 1 wide Bowls full, and really wide of off. Pant looked to get across pretty late, and it is called wide

19.2

Mohit to Pant, SIX runs Goes through Shahrukh’s hands! Some luck for Pant and DC. Shahrukh had his hands above his head and jumped a little at long-on, but the ball still breached them. Pant got another low full toss on the stumps, and he swung liberally for another six, even as it came off the lower half of the bat

19.3

Mohit to Pant, FOUR runs He loses his balance, but it is four! He is Pant, after all. Reaches out for this yorker-length ball which is angling across to finish wide of off. He opens the face of the bat, though, and manages to crash it to a deep backward point even as he falls on his knee

19.4

Mohit to Pant, SIX runs Almost a no-look six! He swivels to pull, and the ball is over fine leg even before he has swiveled entirely. Mohit followed a yorker with a bouncer arriving on middle, and Pant hooked powerfully

19.5

Mohit to Pant, SIX runs Another full toss… and another huge six! This goes a long way up into the sky before landing beyond the long-on boundary. Mohit went back to going for the yorker, but Pant is standing outside his crease. Pant swings incredibly well for another six

19.6

Mohit to Pant, SIX runs Finishes off in style! Creamed over deep square leg! The last over gives DC 31 runs. Mohit went on the shorter side of a length around off, and Pant swiveled again to slam that just past the boundary

Gujarat Titans knew they needed a magical innings or two of their own if they had any chance of hunting down the target, and B Sai Sudharsan and David Miller obliged, stroking quick fifties. However, once Miller fell in the 18th over, the Titans were left facing a difficult equation of 37 runs off the last 12 balls, with just three wickets in hand. Surely, there would be no more twists from there?

Enter Rashid Khan

18.1

Rasikh Salam to Rashid Khan, 1 wide Fullish length, and pretty wide of off. Left alone, and widely called

18.1

Rasikh Salam to Rashid Khan, FOUR runs Swung away between the keeper and short fine! It was a low, dipping full toss which finished on his pads, and Rashid almost took his eyes off in swinging at that

18.2

Rasikh Salam to Rashid Khan, 1 run Wow, what a save by Stubbs! He has saved five crucial runs at an important stage. At long-off, he leaped across to his right, and caught the ball. While realizing that he was falling back, he threw the ball back. The third umpire checks replays, and sees that his right leg is well clear of the rope. Salam had bowled from the back of the hand, and on a length outside off, as Rashid lofted down the ground

From around to Sai

18.3

Rasikh Salam to Sai Kishore, no run Fullish ball angled in outside off, and a slower ball. Sai went swinging, but missed

18.4

Rasikh Salam to Sai Kishore, SIX runs Bashed over deep midwicket! Sai got a back-of-the-hand slower ball on a length just outside off, and Sai saw it early to swipe across the line. The ball went soaring, and landed beyond the boundary

18.5

Rasikh Salam to Sai Kishore, SIX runs Six again, superb! This is clubbed hard and flat, and down the ground. Sai spots another slower ball arriving from the back of the hand. The length is fuller, but the line outside off again, as Sai pumps it back for six more

18.6

Rasikh Salam to Sai Kishore, OUT Bowled him! Salam hits back with an inswinging yorker, which Sai isn’t able to keep out. But Sai has done a terrific job, and invariably ensured that Rashid has the strike for GT in the final over. The length of the ball was too full for Sai to try and clip across the line, and he missed. Salam is thrilled

GT needs 19, and it is down to Rashid

19.1

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, FOUR runs Helicoptered wide of long-on! He is deep in the crease, and whips it in Dhoni style, with the ball being in the slot on middle and off. Clearing his front leg helped too

19.2

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, FOUR runs Slashed to deep point! A one-bounce four this time, as Mukesh goes on a length, and wide of off. Rashid waits for it, and rams the slower ball away from his body in the gap

11 off 4

19.3

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, no run Ohh, he has missed out on a full toss! And amid some mockery, it is a dot ball, and GT don’t lose a wicket! The ball is a slightly high-ish full toss outside off, and Rashid reviews with some hope. But it is not an above-waist full toss, as he swings and is beaten. There is a mix-up for a run or two after Pant misses too, but in the end, Rashid retains strike after sending Mohit back

19.4

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, no run Another dot ball! Now Rashid will feel the pressure. It is a low, dipping full toss just outside off. He swipes across the line, but on the bounce to deep midwicket. They don’t run

19.5

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, SIX runs Clobbered over long-off! Rashid takes it to the last ball of the match. Another full toss from Mukesh, and this is dipping on a fourth-stump line. Rashid squats, and sends it flying over the ropes

5 off 1…

19.6

Mukesh Kumar to Rashid Khan, no run And GT don’t even run the single! Rashid swiped this on the bounce to long-on, where Stubbs jumped and got hold of the ball. It was yet another full toss from Mukesh, but the fact that it was quite low somehow worked in DC’s favor