IPL 10: Match 15, Who Said What: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab

Delhi hosted its first match in this edition of the IPL with the Daredevils locking horns with the in-form Kings XI Punjab side. The eagerly anticipated match between two sides turned out to be a one-sided contest with Delhi steamrolling the visitors by 51 runs. Delhi Daredevils skipper Zaheer Khan won the toss and elected to bat first and posted an imposing total of 188. Sam Billings starred in the innings with his 40-ball 55 and treated the Delhi supporters with 9 boundaries.

Apart from Billings, every batsman in the Delhi batting line-up chipped in with important contribution except for the out-of-form Karun Nair. A late flourish from Corey Anderson and Pat Cummins added the much-needed impetus to the innings. The Black Caps allrounder scored 39 of 22 deliveries, 21 of them came off the last 7 deliveries. All the bowlers in the KXIP line-up picked up crucial wickets at regular intervals to keep a check on the scoring rate. Even though the Delhi batsmen took Varun Aaron to the cleaners, he ended up with a couple of wickets.

The reply of KXIP was rather dismal as they never really got themselves going with the absence of a big partnership. The Punjab side lost half their side until the 11th over which made matters worse for them. Axar Patel was the only shining star for the KXIP as he played a lone hand during the course of the innings. He made 44 runs off 29 balls, at a strike rate of 151.72. In the end, it was too much to ask for from the lower order of the Punjab lineup to resurrect their innings and were almost bundled out for 137. Pat Cummins and Chris Morris impressed the most with their pace and bounce as the duo shared five wickets amongst them by giving away only 23 runs each. Corey Anderson was adjudged as the man of the match for his all-round efforts which set the game up beautifully for the home team.

Corey Anderson

Man of the match, Corey Anderson admitted that it was a difficult pitch to get going. He revealed that Delhi scored 20 runs above the par score which put the visitors on the backfoot. Anderson boasted about the bowling potential within the squad with the likes of Morris and Cummins doing well in tandem. The former Mumbai Indians batsman went on to state that it is auspicious for any captain to have that kind of variety in the bowling lineup.

It was a kind of wicket which was tough to get going on. Sam and Sanju did a really good job to provide the platform. We thought 160 might have been a reasonable target during one of those time-outs. In the end, it was probably 20 runs over par than we had to get. A good overall performance. Zaheer set some really interesting fields. He’s a very clever cricketer. We’ve got a class bowling side with Pat and Morris. It was a clinical performance from the bowlers and everyone did a great job. That’s valuable (variety in bowling), being able to chop and change. Helps through that middle period. It’s about finding the right guys to bowl at the right time.

Zaheer Khan

The Delhi skipper revealed that the team is focussing on the fundamentals and not trying to execute anything fancy. He accepted the fact that the pitch was a tricky place to bat on. Zaheer hailed the efforts of Samson, Billings, and Nadeem for their outstanding contribution in the game. The left-armer hoped that his team continues to keep going in the tournament.

Just doing the basics right. Got a decent start, not losing wickets in the first six. The wickets was on the slower side and we executed our plans well. On that wicket, it was important we gained momentum at the right time. Sanju and Billings provided a good start. We have good batters at the end, we have to provide a good foundation for them. Very dry. Especially Nadeem, the way he bowled, was crucial. I was also trying to bowl just cutters. Just holding our nerves and executing our plans well. So far so good. Hope to keep it going in the tournament.

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell felt the batting and bowling let them down collectively as a result, they had their backs to the walls. He commended the all round efforts of Axar Patel and also had a word or two for KC Cariappa. The Victorian stated that the bowlers disappointed by giving away too many runs which got the Delhi batsmen off the hook.

We were a bit behind with the bat there. Let them get 188 which was far too many on that wicket. We gave away probably 30 too many. There were too many boundary balls and we did not sustain the pressure. They got away at the back end. It (the wicket) stayed slow and did not allow us to get going. The execution from the bowlers has to improve. They have good plans going into the game, but it is about executing them in pressure situations. Axar Patel continues to show he is a superstar in the game, his all-round prowess was brilliant and KC (Cariappa) had a good day, apart from that it was a dull night.

Daredevils progressed to the third position on the points table with a game in hand whereas KXIP dropped down to the fifth position. Delhi host KKR next on Monday whereas KXIP face the Sunrisers at Hyderabad later that night.