Ahmedabad: An all-round batting performance, led by skipper Axar Patel (39) and Ashutosh Sharma (37), saw Delhi Capitals post 203/8 in 20 overs in Match 35 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday. For the Gujarat Titans, Prasidh Krishna claimed the Purple Cap with figures of 4-41, taking his season wicket tally to 14.
It was Abhishek Porel (18) who had the upper hand in the opening exchanges as he took on Mohammed Siraj, who has been impeccable for GT with the new ball this season. After Siraj started the game with two wides, Porel hit a brace of fours and one six over deep square to give his side the flying start. However, his time at the crease was short-lived as he was dismissed by Arshad Khan in the very next over.
A low full toss, holed straight to Siraj at mid-on, earned the home side their first breakthrough. Rahul continued taking the bowlers to the cleaners with a six and a four off Siraj in the third over, which also saw him become the fastest Indian batter to reach the 200 sixes mark before Karun Nair joined the party with a six on the last delivery.
Delhi Capitals raced to the 50-run mark before Rahul departed, bringing his short but vital innings to an end. Prasidh Krishna, in his first over of the day, caught Rahul plumb with a spot-on yorker, sending the dangerous man back to the pavilion. Krishna struck again by dismissing Nair, who was looking to touch, having hit the previous ball for a boundary. A back-of-the-length delivery saw Nair hit it straight towards Arshad at deep third. Stubbs and Axar helped Delhi keep the run-rate over ten with both batters having a go at Rashid Khan.
Things heated up in the 14th over when Stubbs danced down the pitch to hit a towering six straight down the ground. The Proteas’ middle-order batter holed the next one straight up, but Rashid was not able to hold on to the catch.
Axar Patel also joined the party with a six on the next delivery and raised a fifty-run partnership before Stubbs was dismissed cheaply. Siraj was gifted his only wicket on the day when Stubbs attempted to play a reverse scoop and gave Krishna a fairly simple chance at short third man.
Despite Arshad taking the important wicket of Porel, he was hit around the park and ended his spell having conceded 46 runs with a four and a six off his last two balls by Ashutosh Sharma.
Siraj was denied his second when Rashid dropped Axar in the next over, but fortunately for the home side, Prasidh took his third wicket of the day by finding the Delhi skipper’s outside edge to deny him his first 50 of the season. However, the 29-year-old completely turned the game around by similarly dismissing Vipraj Nigam off the next ball.
In response, Delhi brought in Donovan Ferreira as an Impact Player in an attempt to finish strong and cross the 200-run mark. Ashutosh remained fearless by hitting two sixes off the final two deliveries of the over.
Ferreira failed to make an impact as Ishant Sharma grabbed his lone scalp of the game in the penultimate over. There was a huge appeal for Ashutosh’s wicket in the over as well, after the ball deflected off his shoulder to the wicket-keeper, but GT did not have a review left, which left Ishant annoyed. There was a slight exchange of words with the batter, who kept pointing towards his shoulder, pleading his case.
Sai Kishore came on to bowl the final over, after not being given the ball on the day and did a great job to restrict the Delhi Capitals batters to only six runs in the final over while also claiming Ashutosh’s wicket.
Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 203/8 in 20 overs (Axar Patel 39, Ashutosh Sharma 37, Tristian Stubbs 31, Karun Nair 31; Prasidh Krishna 4-41, Ishant Sharma 1-19) vs Gujarat Titans
