IPL 2017 GL vs DD: Daredevils Still Have a Fight Left Within Them
IPL 2017 has been all about expecting the unexpected and while people are focusing on the play-offs, there is another fight happening at the bottom of the table i.e. for not being the least performing team of the tournament.
Gujarat Lions vs Delhi Daredevils was one such match which had nothing to do with the final stages of IPL 2017 yet it was a clash worth witnessing. Almost 400 runs were scored during the match and an interesting, as well as nail-biting chase, was the only certain thing at Green Park Kanpur.
Delhi Daredevils won the toss and opted to bowl first and Suresh Raina led Lions were in deep danger the ground holds the record of 100% successful chases in T20 games. However, since they were playing for their pride, GL left no stone unturned to defy all odds and win this match.
Ishan Kishan (34 off 25) gave a steady start to his team’s innings which was followed by a confident knock from Dinesh Karthik. The wicket-keeping batsman was at it from the word go and provided Gujarat Lions the needed pace. He stitched a 92-runs 4th wicket partnership with Aaron Finch (69 off 39) that was undoubtedly the pillar of the huge 195 runs total.
Watch Dinesh Karthik’s 28 balls 40 runs knock here
Delhi Daredevils came in to bat next and within the first two overs, they lost two wickets for just 15 runs, hinting towards a record win for Gujarat Lions. The second wicket was actually a run out that shouldn’t have to exist in the very first place. Rishabh Pant was on the striker’s end when Sangwan appealed for an LBW, however, it was declined by the umpire but Suresh Raina caught the batsman napping out of the crease and hit the ball on the stumps from the slip.
Watch Suresh Raina’s exceptional on-field presence here
And then it was Jadeja’s turn to make the difference and he went wicket-less during his spell, there were two run outs from the hands of Sir Jadeja that almost handed Gujarat the match.
Watch Jadeja’s Lighting Quick Throws With Unmatched Precision Here
However, in the backdrop, there was a batsman who was getting better and better after every delivery he faced and not being able to send him back to the hut during the initial stages was what took away the opportunity from Suresh Raina’s Lions.
Shreyas Iyer was the man that rode Delhi Daredevils past this high-scoring chase and yet again we got to witness the emergence of a middle-order batsman in IPL 2017. His strokes were so good that the moment the ball left his bat, nobody on the field was able to stop it from crossing the boundary. Moreover, the shots he played were classically timed and that helped him scoring 96 runs off just 57 balls, consisting of ‘15’ boundaries and two sixes. The number of boundaries Shreyas Iyer registered were 75% of the total boundaries scored by the opposition. He was that great with his handle.
Watch Shreyas Iyer making his mark in IPL 2017 here
On the second delivery of the very last over, Shreyas Iyer had to end his spree of boundaries and that was the most dreading moment for Delhi Daredevils. With Amit Mishra on the striker’s end and 7 runs needed on 4 deliveries, Gujarat Lions would have smelled a victory there but then something really unexpected happened.
Mishra was facing his first ball in the last over and suddenly the leg-spinner turned into a ball smashing handle-bearer by striking two consecutive boundaries that were not an easy task for even a regular batsman.
Watch Amit Mishra Snatching the victory from Lion’s mouth.
That was it for the match and now Delhi Daredevils sit at the 6th position with 10 points and two more games still to play. Although they have no chance of playing in the IPL 2017 Play-offs, they would like to end this season on a high note. They are followed by Gujarat Lions with 8 points while Royal Challengers sit at the bottom of the IPL 2017 tally with 6 points.