On Monday, skipper R Ashwin said that Kings XI Punjab’s match against Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 2018 at Feroz Shah Kotla was one that they needed to win after scoring small total of 143 runs. “If we were serious about winning, this is a game we needed to win,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony. Punjab managed to defend a small target of 144, restricting Delhi Daredevils to 139/8 to record their fifth win in six matches and managed to go on the top of the point table. Kings XI Punjab, now won 5 games out of six played and on the other hand Delhi Daredevil won one game out of six match.
“We were more discussing of what to be bowling, rather than what to be bowling,” said Ashwin, “I decided young Mujeeb will be bowling the 20th over. I thought AJ (Tye) was the best bowler on the day. Coach says nothing. If we were serious about winning, this is a game we needed to win. The ball skidded on, more trying to get their wickets. They wanted to attack, which fell in our hands.”
Young Prithvi Shaw got Delhi Daredevils off to a brilliant start but they could never get a hold on the chase after his dismissal in the third over. Shreyas Iyer the last batsmen to dismissed, who scored 57 runs, managed to get them close but was dismissed on the last ball of the match by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. “When you lose three wickets in the first six overs, it’s always difficult to chase,” said Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir, “Avesh (Khan) bowled well, (Prithvi) Shaw is a player for the future. We’ve got to win seven games. Our bowling was good today, but couldn’t cross the line.”
