IPL 2024, GT vs DC: All-round Delhi demolish Gujarat in Ahmedabad to get 3rd win
DC did a demolition job of GT by 6 in Ahmedabad to secure their third win of the season and distance themselves from the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table.
The Delhi bowlers were right on the money from the get-go as Gujarat were bundled out for just 89 runs. Cameos from Shai Hope, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel were enough on the day as DC knocked off the the target in just overs to get two valuable points and continue the momentum they gained from the LSG win.
Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi with figures of 3 for 14, while Ishant Sharma also rolled back the years with another top class performance this season. The GT batters seemed to struggle to get grips with the surface on the day as they lost wickets at regular intervals, with the likes of Shubman Gill, David Miller and Sai Sudharsan struggling to make an impact. Rashid Khan top scored for Gujarat with 31 runs to his name as they registered their lowest-ever total in the IPL.
The DC innings was given the perfect start by Fraser-McGurk, who scored 20 off just 9 balls, to set the momentum for the run chase. Hope and Porel would ensure that that DC would get to 67 in the powerplay overs but they had lost 4 wickets by that time.
Pant and Sumit Kumar would ensure there were no more hiccups and got the win with 11.1 overs left.
Rishabh Pant steals the show behind the stumps
Rishabh Pant had a lot to prove on his return to the cricket field, especially with the T20 World Cup looming. The DC skipper seemed to be looking solid with the bat this season as he had scored 194 runs before the start of the GT game. Before his return to the field, the focus was also on his work behind the stumps and Pant would put his hand up on the night with some incredible efforts.
What started by saving a delivery from going to the fence would soon add a couple of scintillating efforts as the game progressed. Pant would pull off a great catch to dismiss David Miller as the DC skipper had a bit to do. Pant was caught flat-footed by the movement of the ball after deflecting off Miller’s hips but the DC skipper was able to show off his quick reflexes to complete the catch.
Pant would then pull off a lightning fast stumping to dismiss Abhinav Manohar who was caught on the line off Tristan Stubbs’ bowling. He would have some luck on his side as the DC skipper would get Shahrukh Khan next with another stumping to leave GT in all sorts of trouble.
Pant added another catch to his name in the form of Rashid Khan to cap off a brilliant day behind the stumps. The Indian selectors and fans would certainly be thrilled to see the progress made by Pant with both the bat and behind the stumps.
Delhi bowling’s rebirth continues in Ahmedabad
Bowling has been a major concern for DC this season. They ended up conceding 272 runs against KKR in Vizag, where Sunil Narine and Angrkrish Raghuvanshi would beat them into submission. This would then continue at the Wankhede stadium where Anrich Nortje, ended up conceding 32 runs off the final over as MI scored 234 runs in their innings.
Wholesome changes were made to the bowling lineup with the emphasis being put on the Indian crop. They delivered during the match against LSG where if Ayush Badoni hadn’t scored that fifty, DC would have chased a score that was a lot less.
The rebirth of the bowling would continue in Ahmedabad, where the Indian bowlers led by Mukesh picked up 7 of the 10 GT wickets on the day. These seem to be great signs for DC as they head back home to the Arun Jaitley stadium to face SRH on April 20.