IPL 2019, DC vs KXIP, Match 37: Dhawan, Iyer fifties dwarf Gayle Storm to beat Punjab by 5 wickets

It was Delhi's 2nd victory at home, Feroz Shah Kotla in the ongoing IPL season which not only earned them 2 more points but also helped them retain the third position on the points table

Outshining Chris Gayle's efforts, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer slammed terrific fifties to guide Delhi Capitals (DC) to a 5-wicket win against the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday night. It was Delhi's 2nd victory at home in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which not only earned them 2 more points but also helped them retain the third position on the points table. On the other hand, Ashwin & Co remain at fourth position with 10 points in their kitty. Chasing 164 for a win, opener Shikhar Dhawan laid the foundation with a fluent 56 of 41 balls, while skipper Shreyas Iyer contributed an unbeaten 58 off 49 balls to complete the job with two balls to spare. Iyer hit five fours and a six. Dhawan struck seven fours and a six before Ravichandran Ashwin ran from mid-on to the midwicket region to compete for a fine catch while avoiding a collision with an onrushing Chris Gayle.

Shikhar Dhawan's opening show of 56(41) https://t.co/W1kQIEUChS

— Aakash Biswas (@aami_aakash) April 20, 2019

During his stay in the middle, Dhawan had some fun by dancing around the crease as Ashwin threatened to Mankad him. The home side were 141 for three at the end of the 17th over with 23 needing off 18 balls. Colin Ingram found the fence twice in the next over to ease the nerves and pushed DC closer to the target.

Captain Shreyas Iyer leads with 58*(49) https://t.co/yx5cGOKmPm

— Aakash Biswas (@aami_aakash) April 20, 2019

Earlier, KXIP rode on Chris Gayle's 28th IPL fifty to register 163/7 in 20 overs. Even as the DC bowlers looked to keep things tight after Gayle's dismissal, the visitors still managed to pick up 45 runs in the last five overs as Harpreet Brar finished with an unbeaten 20 off 12 balls. Put into bat, KXIP looked to start positively. But Lamichhane struck in the second over itself as he had K.L. Rahul stumped by Rishabh Pant for just 12. The score read 13/1 as Mayank Agarwal joined Gayle in the middle. But the partnership didn't last long as Kagiso Rabada ended Agarwal's struggle in the middle with a bouncer that climbed on him as he attempted the pull. Sherfane Rutherford completed an easy catch as the batsmen walked back to the dugout after making a 9-ball 2. But just when it looked like Gayle would take the game away with his power hitting, Lamichhane dismissed the southpaw, caught by Axar for a 37-ball 69 (4x6, 6x5). Colin Ingram first caught the ball but as he was going over the rope, he threw it to Axar at long-on. With the score reading 106/5, Ravichandran Ashwin walked in to join Mandeep in the 14th over. The two looked to finish with a flourish, but Axar sent back Mandeep (30), stumped by Pant in the 17th over. Having got a life on 21, Mandeep failed to capitalise on the chance. Ashwin looked to provide the finishing touches as he hit a 14-ball 16, but he was dismissed in the 19th over as KXIP looked to score some quick runs. Brief Scores: Kings XI Punjab: 163 for 7 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 69; Sandeep Lamichhane 3/40). Delhi Capitals: 166 for 5 in 19.4 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 56, Shreyas Iyer 58 not out; Hardus Viljoen 2/39).