Delhi Capitals defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 1 wicket in the Indian Premier League. Ashutosh Sharma walked away with the Player of the Match award for scoring 66 runs off 31 balls in a tense run chase. He hit 5 sixes and as many fours, but former India player Mohammad Kaif didn’t feel the 26-year-old was the difference between the two sides in the end. He highlighted the performance of Kuldeep Yadav, who conceded 20 runs from his four overs and took two wickets. The spinner sent back LSG captain Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni.
Kuldeep didn’t allow the batters to score freely against him, and his tight spell helped Delhi restrict Lucknow to 209/8 in 20 overs. They were on course to reach 240 at one stage when Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) and Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) were there in the middle, but their dismissals gave DC a chance to stop the run flow.
“Kuldeep Yadav was the difference in the end. He bowled 15 dot balls in a match that saw more than 400 runs being scored. Kuldeep was the most economical bowler and also took two wickets. He often goes under the radar. I feel Rohit Sharma used him to perfection in the Champions Trophy. He came to the IPL with some form under his belt,” Mohammad Kaif said on Star Sports.
Aakash Chopra agreed with Kaif’s statement. “Imagine a bowler giving just 20 runs from his 4 overs in IPL. He didn’t give runs at all and helped DC in stopping Lucknow from putting a big total on the board,” he said.
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