Rossouw stars for DC in 15-run victory while Livingstone’s knock goes in vain

DHARAMSALA: Liam Livingstone’s sensational 94 (48 balls, 5 fours, 9 sixes) eventually went in vain as Punjab Kings suffered a 15-run defeat at the hands of Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League 2023 at the HPCA Stadium here on Wednesday.

Chasing 214 to record its seventh win of the season, Punjab could muster only 198 for eight, despite the best efforts of Livingstone and Atharva Taide (55 off 42 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes, retired out). Punjab remains eighth on the table with 12 points from 13 matches and is all but out of the play-off race while Delhi is ninth with 10 points off 12 games. In the second essay, Taide and Livingstone kept Punjab in the hunt with a 78-run stand for the third wicket.

Delhi helped the home team’s cause with its sloppy fielding, dropping catches offered by both batters. But, they did not prove costly in the end as the DC bowlers just about managed to defend the target.

Even when the required run-rate was close to 20, Livingstone kept the hopes alive, but the Englishman could not come up with a miracle. Pacers Ishant Sharma (2/36), who bowled the last over, and Anrich Nortje (2/36) picked up two wickets each while being expensive.

In the first innings, No.3 Rilee Rossouw (82 not out off 37 balls, 6 fours, 6 sixes) found his mojo to slam his maiden IPL half-century as Delhi posted 213 for two. Capitals got off to a flying start with Prithvi Shaw smashing a 54 (38 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) on his comeback after nearly a month. Shaw, who made his last appearance in this season’s IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 20, returned to form and notched up his first fifty in 13 innings. Shaw copped body blows from Rabada en route his 38-ball knock as he along with his skipper David Warner (46 from 31 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) gave DC its best start of the season.

The duo put together a 94-run opening stand, its highest this season, before Rossouw took charge of the proceedings as his fifty came off 25 balls. Rossouw made his first move when he sent his South African teammate Rabada into the orbit with a six over long-off. He followed it up with a boundary and then a sublime pick-up six over deep square leg as there was no looking back for Rabada from there on. The South African went on to concede 36 from his three overs while Sam Curran took 2/36.

BRIEF SCORES: Delhi Capitals 213/2 in 20 overs (R Rossouw 82*, P Shaw 54, D Warner 46) bt Punjab Kings 198/8 in 20 overs (L Livingstone 94, A Taide 55 retd out)