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Prabhsimran, Shreyas upstage Rahul’s 152* to mow down record T20 chase
Punjab Kings (PBKS) overpowered Delhi Capitals (DC) and pulled off the highest successful T20 chase in an IPL bash where 265 met 264. They mowed down the target with six wickets and seven balls to spare. The opening blitz from Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh – they hit 116 together in the powerplay – and captain Shreyas Iyer’s chancy yet composed 71 not out off 36 balls upstaged KL Rahukl’s unbeaten 152 off 67 balls on a flat Delhi pitch.
Before the start of the chase, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster had PBKS’ win probability pegged at 14.83%. It zoomed up to 65.35% after Arya and Prabhsimran went on a ruthless boundary-hitting spree in the powerplay. Both openers fell in successive overs to spin, but Shreyas then took charge of the chase and increased that count to 100%.
Rahul’s knock could’ve been cut short on 12 had Shashank Singh not dropped a regulation catch at deep square leg. Shashank lost his shape and ended up knocking the ball away to the boundary. After dropping at least three chances in their previous game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Shashank spilled another chance on Saturday, leaving coach Ricky Ponting upset in the dugout.
Shashank fumbled again in the fifth over of the powerplay, running to his right from sweeper cover and letting the ball roll into the boundary. By the time the powerplay ended, DC ran away to 68 for 1, their highest powerplay score this season.
Rahul was responsible for 35 of those from 16 balls, having repeatedly hit the ball over the top. Rana was also quick off the blocks, moving to 22 off 13 balls. Prabhsimran and Arya later made those powerplay scores look pedestrian.
In the past, Rahul often slowed down after the powerplay, but on Saturday, he didn’t allow the momentum to let up. He step-hit Yuzvendra Chahal for six over long-on in the seventh over and proceeded to step out of his crease and pick the legspinner away for back-to-back fours in the 11th over. By then, Rahul had already raised his half-century off 26 balls. He got another life on 51 when he popped up a return catch, but Vijaykumar Vyshak couldn’t hold onto it.
Rahul went on to bring up his fastest IPL century, off 47 balls. He reached the landmark with a drilled drive down the ground off Marco Jansen in the 15th over. He celebrated by crossing his arms in the form of an ‘X’ and had more than 28,000 fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium celebrating with him.
At the other end, Nitish Rana looked set to bring up a hundred of his own until Xavier Bartlett had him caught by Shreyas at mid-off for 91 off 44 balls to snap a 220-run stand – the highest for DC. In the 11 balls prior to his dismissal, Rana had cracked 44 off the Australia quick, including a sequence of 6,4,4,4,4,6 in the 12th over that cost PBKS 28 runs.
Rana wasn’t as fluent against Chahal, but Rahul had made up for it at the other end. Rahul went from 100 to 150 in just 19 balls. He got there with a superbly controlled upper cut off a lifter from Arshdeep Singh on the penultimate ball of the innings.
Rahul became the first Indian to score 150 or more in the IPL and third overall behind only Chris Gayle’s 175* against Pune Warriors India (PWI) in 2013 and Brendon McCullum’s 158* against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008. He batted through 20 overs and vaulted DC to their highest total. At the innings break, Rahul was so knackered that he was panting for breath through his interview on a 41-degree day in Delhi.
Prabhsimran and Delhi boy, Arya, then left the crowd breathless in the chase with their unfettered assault in the powerplay. It began with Arya pumping a fairly blameless length delivery on off from Auqib Nabi over midwidcket for six and ended with four by Prabhsimran, which propelled PBKS to 116 for 0 in six overs. It was the second-highest powerplay score in the history of the IPL, falling nine short of levelling the record set by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against DC at this very venue in 2024.
PBKS had passed fifty in the third over when Arya crunched Axar Patel for six and then Prabhsimran muscled them past hundred in the final over of the powerplay with an over full of fours against seamer Mukesh Kumar.
DC clawed back into the contest when their spinners Axar and Kuldeep Yadav dismissed PBKS’ openers in the seventh and eighth overs. Kuldeep struck again in the tenth over when he stormed through Cooper Connolly’s defences with a zippy wrong’un, leaving PBKS at 145 for 3 in the tenth over. Shreyas then managed the chase so well that PBKS ended up winning with more than an over to spare.
Shreyas got cracking when he pumped legspinner Vipraj Nigam into the sight screen in the 11th over. Nigam had come into the DC side as a concussion sub for Lungi Ngidi, who was taken to the hospital in an ambulance after suffering a blow to his head while attempting a catch off Arya at mid-off. Nigam created a chance to dismiss Shreyas on 28, but Karun Nair, who came in as a fielding sub, dropped a sitter at long-off in the 15th over. Two balls later, Nair dropped Shreyas once again, this time at long-on off Kuldeep.
Lungi Ngidi banged his head on the ground while he looked to take a catch [Cricinfo]
Shreyas went 4,6,6 off the next three legal balls to tilt the game PBKS’ way. The second six over long-on brought Shreyas a half-century off 26 balls. He also lined up T Natarajan for a brace of sixes to rush PBKS home along with Shashank.
Brief scores:
Punjab Kings 265 for 4 in 18.5 overs (Priyansh Arya 43, Prabhsimran Singh 76, Cooper Connolly 17, Shreyas Iyer 71*, Nehal Wadhera 25, Shashank Singh 19*; Axar Patel 1-44, Kuldeep Yadav 2-46, Vipraj Nigam 1-24) beat Delhi Capitals 264 for 2 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 11, KL Rahul 152*, Nitish Rana, 91; Arshdeep 1-49, Xavier Bartlett 1-69) by six wickets
For a second day in a row, the United States has launched strikes against Iran, once again citing an attack against a commercial vessel as a motivation.
Saturday’s renewed attacks are the latest indication that a regional Middle East ceasefire, established as part of a June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU), might be at a breaking poInt.
In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which directs military action in the Middle East, explained that the latest attacks came “at the Commander in Chief’s direction”.
“CENTCOM forces launched strikes today in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping,” it wrote.
“U.S. military aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities.”
[Aljazeera]
India suffered a potential injury scare ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka, with their No.3 B Sai Sudarshan retiring hurt on 7 while playing for India A against Sri Lanka A during the third day of the first four-dayer in Galle. After scoring a century in the first innings, Sai Sudharsan retired hurt in the fourth over of India A’s second innings. By the end of the day’s play, however, India A had stretched their lead to 170.
Chhattisgarh opener Aayush Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal were unbeaten on 20 each at stumps.
India A had claimed a first-innings lead of 122 after dismissing Sri Lanka A for 330 in their first innings. Resuming from an overnight 113 for 2, they were guided by half-centuries from captain Sahan Arachchige (72) and Ashen Bandara (70). Nuwandi Fernando, who had passed his own fifty on day two, had his innings cut short on 84 on day three.
For India A, Auqib Nabi, who was the top wicket taker in the previous Ranji Trophy season and was a net bowler during India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, was the pick of the bowlers, returning 4 for 58 in 19.4 overs. Sri Lanka A lost their last five wickets for 30 runs, with Nabi taking four of those.
Left-arm fingerspin-bowling allrounder Harsh Dubey and Vidarbha fast bowler Yash Thakur picked up two wickets apiece. India A then closed out the day on 48 for 0.
Scores:
India A 48 for 0 in 17 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 20*, Ayush Pandey 20*) and 452 for 6 dec in 111.4 overs [Sai Sudarshan 132, Dhruv Jurel 141, Shaik Rasheed 63; Chamika Gunasekera 3-64, Dilum Sudeera 2-143] lead Sri Lanka A 330 in 101.4 overs (Nuwanidu Fernando 84, Ashen Bandara 70, Sahan Arachchige 72; Aaqib Nabi 4-58, YashThakur 2-51, Harsh Dubey 2-84) by 170 runs
[Cricinfo]
Teams that finished in the top four of each group at the ongoing T20 World Cup have secured their spots for the next edition of the tournament in 2028. From Group 1, Australia, India, South Africa and Bangladesh have qualified. England, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka join them from Group 2. Pakistan qualified as a result of being the tournament hosts; they finished fifth in the Group 2 table with just one win in five games.
Scotland missed out on a chance to directly qualify for the 12-team ICC event after losing to Sri Lanka on Friday.
The 10th spot will go to the next highest-ranked team on the T20I rankings table at the July 6, 2026 cut-off. As it stands, Ireland, ranked ninth, fill that spot. The remaining two places will be determined through a 10-team global qualifier, which will be supported by regional qualifiers.
Netherlands, ranked 14th, are likely to have to play in the qualifier to make the main event. So too Scotland (11th) and Ireland (9th) if they fall too far down the table.
The ICC also made a decision on the composition of teams at the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, to be held next year in Sri Lanka. The hosts will be joined by the top five teams on the T20I rankings at the same July 6 cut-off. As it stands, the teams at the tournament will be Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa.
[Cricinfo]
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