| Indian Premier League, Ahmedabad |
| Delhi Capitals 130-8 (20 overs): Khan 51 (44); Shami 4-11 |
| Gujarat Titans 125-6 (20 overs): Hardik 59 (53); Ishant 2-23 |
| Delhi Capitals won by five runs |
| Scorecard; Table |
Ishant Sharma expertly defended 11 from the final over as Delhi Capitals beat Gujarat Titans by five runs in the Indian Premier League.
Chasing 131, Gujarat were 32-4 but Hardik Pandya and Abhinav Manohar shared 62 to keep them in the game.
Rahul Tewatia then hit three successive sixes to leave 12 from the final over, but Ishant got Delhi over the line.
Delhi battled to 130-8, after being 23-5, including losing England’s Phil Salt to the game’s first ball.
Gujarat were on top from the get-go when Salt slapped Mohammed Shami’s first ball to cover.
It was the 30th time a wicket had fallen to the first ball of an IPL match, and the third time it has happened to an England player after Michael Lumb in 2010 and Joe Denly in 2019.
It is the second time Salt has been out to his first ball in four innings in this year’s tournament.
Shami was superb, bowling four straight overs and taking 4-11 to put Delhi on the back foot.
But Aman Hakim Khan made his maiden professional half-century in 50 and 53-run stands with Axar Patel and Ripal Patel to drag Delhi up to what was ultimately a winning score.
Gujarat struggled for fluency throughout their innings, with the run-rate consistently creeping up, but with Hardik at the crease they were favourites throughout.
Tewatia’s devastating hitting off Anrich Nortje turned them into strong favourites in the final over but Ishant nailed four yorkers, including having Tewatia caught at cover.
“We would have taken 129 but we just lost a couple of wickets and Rahul [Tewatia] got us back in the game,” said Gujarat captain Hardik, who finished 59 not out off 53 balls.
“I could not capitalise – it boils down to me as always. I should have won it for us at the end but I could not get my rhythm.”
“Our bowlers were absolutely amazing,” said Delhi Capitals captain David Warner.
“We keep finding a way to lose wickets in clumps. I don’t know what is happening with our batting at the moment but we won and got the two points.”
Delhi remain bottom of the 10-team table but join Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders on six points. Gujarat are still top but missed the opportunity to pull four points clear.
