IPL 2018: Match 2, KXIP vs DD- Who Said What

After a riveting encounter between Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians in the opening game, the focus moved to the PCA Stadium in Mohali where Kings XI Punjab and the Delhi Daredevils locked horns in their opening match. However, the game turned out to be a one-sided affair as Ravichandran Ashwin-led Punjab decimated the visitors by six wickets.

Punjab won the toss and had no hesitation whatsoever to have a crack at the Delhi batsmen. The decision paid dividends for them from the word go as Mujeeb Ur Rahman nipped out Colin Munro in his very first over. However, Gautam Gambhir showed played some graceful strokes which got the scoreboard moving for the Delhi Daredevils.

However, wickets at regular intervals pushed them back to a large extent. Gambhir, after accomplishing his half-century, couldn’t carry on and was dismissed by a direct throw by Mujeeb Zadran. The Afghan cricketer nipped out the wicket of Rishabh Pant, who threatened to take the game away from Punjab. Chris Morris and Dan Christian stitched together an impressive stand which propelled their score.

The one-sided chase by Punjab

During their run-chase, KL Rahul went berserk from the outset and took Delhi’s bowler by the scruff of the neck. Rahul accomplished his half-century in a mere 14 balls and subsequently, notched the fastest fifty in the history of the tournament. Punjab breached the 50-run mark within three overs which took the sting out of the Delhi bowlers.

However, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal were dismissed in quick succession, which opened the gates for Delhi to make a comeback. Yuvraj Singh came in at number three but struggled to get going. Karun Nair’s half-century got Punjab to the threshold of victory. When Nair got out, Punjab were well and truly in the driver’s seat and accomplished the target with seven balls to spare

Here is what the captains said after the game  

Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandran Ashwin said

“There is lesser pressure now. I had a bit of nerves going in for the toss. Feeling a bit relieved now. I had some elaborate plans going. KL Rahul and the other guys helped me execute them. I wanted a lot of guys to have a good hit and we batted well today.”

DD skipper Gautam Gambhir said

“I thought that we got a decent total on the board but in the first 6 overs (of the chase), they put it beyond us. Credit to our bowlers, they fought back well to drag it into the 19th over. (Whether DD were short of runs) No, I thought that 160-165 was a good total because the old ball wasn’t easy to get away. Hence, the first 6 overs were key. (On DD’s fine support staff) Yes, we have a good start with Ricky and many others in the backroom staff. Hopefully, we can get things right.”

Player of the Match KL Rahul said

“I just went in there and I just took off. I didn’t plan this innings. I was just watching the ball and getting into good positions. It’s an openers responsibility to get the team off to a good start. Really happy that it came off today. I was striking the ball really well, but it’s important to forget this innings and move on to the coming games. I have been branded as a Test cricket for 4-5 years.”