DD basks in mediocrity as Rahul, Nair delivers for KXIP

DD vs KXIP match report, full analysis

After a terrific opener on match day 1, between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, match day 2 also presented with its share of fun and excitement as Delhi Dynamos went to Punjab to take on the Kings XI Punjab. After losing the toss, Delhi Daredevil was sent to bat first by Kings’s skipper Ravichandran Ashwin. Gautam Gambhir and Colin Munro opened for Delhi Daredevils. In the third over, Munro was caught by Afghani Mujeeb Ur Rahman and wickets fell for Delhi at regular intervals. Though Gautam tried to hold it off for Delhi by playing a captain’s knock of 55 runs of 42 balls. Later down the order, R R Pant provided all the firepower Delhi has left to reach a total of 166/7 in 20 overs.

Kings XI Punjab had a standard target to chase and it was expected from the Delhi side that in the 11th Indian Premier League competition, they would no longer bask in their mediocrity as they have been from the first IPL. Gautam Gambhir’s return to the Delhi side brought them hope that this year’s IPL would be different. Under Gautam Gambhir’s guidance Kolkata Knight Riders rose as a phoenix and the same was expected in this game too. The captain delivered on his part but not his team members.

KXIP sent K L Rahul to open their innings with M A Agarwal and the blaster of 51 runs of 16 balls from Rahul ensured the fact that King’s XI Punjab’s win is just a matter of time. The fastest half century in the history of Indian Premier League also came of Rahul’s bat. Things paced down badly as Agarwal went for 7, bringing star player Yuvraj Singh to the crease. Two beautiful fours came off Yuvraj’s innings as he also collapsed for 12 runs salvaged from 22 balls. Undoing the works of Yuvraj, K K Nair delivered for Kings XI Punjab a beautifl half century of just 33 balls comprising five 4s and two towering sixes.