In a thrilling high scoring encounter, DC once again sunk GT’s titanic as another team failed to avenge their loss in the payback week. DC’s Prithvi Shaw and Jake Fraser McGurk started off aggressively, scoring at a run rate close to 10 . However, Gujarat bounced back well as Sandeep Warrier dismissed both the aggressive openers along with the potent Shai Hope to restrict DC to 44/3 after 6 overs, the lowest powerplay score in IPL 2024.
Axar and Rishabh led the attack
However, DC’s Axar Patel and Rishabh Pant formed a solid 113 run partnership off 68 balls, starting cautiously as the team was under pressure, then pressing the accelerator to power DC to 224/4, with 53 runs coming off the last 2 overs, including a 31 run over from Mohit Sharma who ended with the worst IPL figures so far, i.e. 0/73 in 4 overs with a whooping expensive economy of 18.25. This ultimately cost GT the match as well as the last over onslaught gave DC the few runs which GT could not catch up to.
They began their innings well and played very aggressively to end the powerplay on 67/1, which was their highest powerplay score in this IPL, despite a shaky start, losing their skipper Shubman Gill early on. However, when the partnership between Saha and Sudharshan broke with the wicket of Saha in the 10th over, the match was a seesaw battle, as despite Omorzai and Sudharshan falling shortly after the partnership was broken, David Miller led Gujarat’s fightback despite wickets falling at the other end at regular intervals. However, things seemed hopeless for GT when Miller was finally dismissed. However, then Rashid Khan fought valiantly receiving able support from Sai Kishore who smashed 2 vital sixes to release pressure from GT which took the game down the wire with GT needing 19 off the last over. Rashid Khan started the over well, however a few dot balls and inability to score a boundary when GT needed 5 off the last delivery cost GT a close match, which was a matter of so close yet so far for them.
Gill’s form a concern?
Captain Shubman Gill has lost his form in the last few games and he made an unfathomable decision of not giving Sandeep Warrier a 4th over despite his scintillating performance of 3/15 in the 3 overs he bowled. He could have been given the last over though he was not a death over specialist, as trust and risk taking sometimes pays off, giving the ball to Mohit Sharma in the final over despite his expensive outing of 0/42 in the 3 overs he bowled was out-rightly a blank cheque to DC and Rishabh Pant to smash Gujarat all around the park which he did, leading DC to a mammoth 224/4 and giving GT the challenge to do the highest successful run chase in IPL history, to which they came close but fell short by 4 runs.
Rishabh Pant showed phenomenal leadership skills once again as he played a scintillating knock of 88 off 43 to bail DC out of a dismal situation and give them a rock solid finish by smashing Mohit Sharma for 31 runs in the final over. He lived up to fans’ expectations, who were chanting ‘Rishabh Pant is back’, referencing his fabulous comeback to cricket after a horrific car accident which kept him away from the sport for months. He also showed great wicket-keeping skills in the dismissals of Shahrukh Khan and the dangerous Rahul Tewatia where he took a superb reaction catch to dismiss Shahrukh Khan and a sharp catch to send Tewatia back to the pavillion.
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DC have won 3 out of their last 4 matches and fought valiantly in all of them, even in their loss against SRH, via which they are showing great signs of putting up a fightback to qualify for the play-offs, with Pant being a phenomenal captain, batsman and even wicket keeper. Meanwhile, GT have been thoroughly inconsistent and they need to give their best and have their players deliver in crunch situations like they have done in the last 2 seasons, especially their three big finishers – David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan, to stay on winning ways and be in the race for the play-offs.
