IPL 2023: Punjab Kings knock out Delhi Capitals with 31-run win

Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar shared six wickets between them to power Punjab Kings to a 31-run win

New Delhi: Spin twins Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar shared six wickets between them to power Punjab Kings to a 31-run win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Saturday.

This was bottom-placed DC’s eighth loss from 12 matches as they became the first team to be eliminated, while PBKS kept their playoff hopes alive, climbing to sixth spot.

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David Warner smashed a 23-ball 50, his 60th fifty in the IPL, en route to his 54 (27b; 10×4, 1×6) to give DC’s 168-run chase a flying start.

From being 69 for no loss in the power-play, DC came crashing down with Brar (4/30) and Chahar (2/16) ripping Delhi apart from seventh to 11th over. Brar dismissed Warner with a successful review and there was no looking back as DC were restricted 136/8 on a slow-turner.

Put into bat, PBKS rode on Prabhsimran Singh’s 103, his first century in the IPL, to post 167 for seven. Veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma (2/27, 3 overs) claimed the prized scalps of Shikhar Dhawan (7) and Liam Livingstone (4), while left-arm spinner Axar Patel (1/27) dismissed the in-form Jitesh Sharma (5).

But Prabhsimran kept ticking along and hit 10 fours and six sixes in his 65-ball knock to help PBKS recover from being 45/3. Sam Curran (20) gave him the support in the middle overs to stich a 72-run (54 balls) partnership.

Brief Scores: Punjab Kings: 167 for 7 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 103; Ishant Sharma 2/27). Delhi Capitals: 136 for 8 in 20 overs (David Warner 54; Harpreet Brar 4/30, Rahul Chahar 2/16).