The 40th match of IPL 2024 witnessed a captivating showdown between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, culminating in a thrilling 3-run victory for DC. Powered by skipper Rishabh Pant’s sensational 88 off just 43 balls, DC showcased their batting prowess, setting a challenging target of 225 runs for GT to chase.

GT’s Chase

In pursuit of the formidable target, GT exhibited resilience but ultimately fell short, scoring 221/8 at the end of their 20 overs. Despite a valiant effort, GT’s chase was marked by crucial breakthroughs and moments of brilliance from the DC bowlers.

See Also: Rishabh Pant’s carnage against GT, special demand of fans to BCCI

The Titans started steadily but suffered a setback when their captain, Shubman Gill, fell to Anrich Nortje’s delivery in the second over, caught by Axar Patel after scoring 6 runs from 5 balls. 

Then, Sai Sudharsan and Wriddhiman Saha formed a crucial partnership of 82 runs off 49 balls. However, Kuldeep Yadav broke the stand by dismissing Saha, caught by Axar Patel, after contributing 39 runs off 25 balls. Meanwhile, Sudharsan continued his impressive form, reaching fifty off 29 balls in the 10th over. 

On the next delivery, Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed by Axar Patel after scoring just one run off two balls. The Titans lost their fourth wicket when Sudharsan, who had played a resilient innings, was caught by Axar off Rasikh Salam’s delivery in the 13th over, departing after scoring 65 runs off 39 balls.

David Miller’s Heroics

In the chase, GT’s standout performer was David Miller, who played a blistering innings of 55 runs off 23 balls. Miller’s aggressive stroke play and calculated aggression kept GT in the hunt until the very end, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the mounting pressure.

The Protea reached his half-century off a mere 21 balls by running for two runs on the final delivery of the over. Miller wasted no time in the 18th over, striking another boundary off the first ball he faced, only to lose his wicket attempting another big shot on the next. He was caught by Salam on a delivery from Mukesh Kumar.

Last Over Drama

The match’s climax unfolded in the nail-biting final over, with GT needing 19 runs to secure victory—Rashid Khan’s heroics with the bat, including two crucial boundaries, injected excitement into the contest. However, DC’s disciplined bowling under pressure ultimately sealed the win, with GT falling short by just 3 runs.

DC’s Dominant Batting

Dominant batting displays from skipper Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel characterized DC’s innings. Pant’s explosive knock of 88 runs off 43 balls and Axar’s innings of 66 runs off 43 balls propelled DC to a mammoth total of 224/4.

Pant and Axar’s Partnership

Pant and Axar’s partnership proved to be the cornerstone of DC’s innings. The duo stitched together a crucial 113-run stand for the fourth wicket. Their partnership steadied the innings and provided the impetus for DC to accelerate towards the end.

Warrier’s Bowling Spell

GT’s Sandeep Warrier delivered an impressive bowling spell, claiming three crucial wickets in the powerplay to initially put DC on the backfoot. However, Pant and Axar’s counterattack nullified Warrier’s impact, allowing DC to regain control of the innings.

Pant’s Stellar Batting Display

Pant was delightful in the 16th over against Mohit – whipping off his pads and thumping a slower ball over long-off for a brace of sixes, before bringing up the century of the fourth-wicket stand. Axar then hammered Noor for back-to-back sixes in the 17th over before holing out to long-on to fall for a 43-ball 66.

Pant got his fifty in 34 balls by lofting a full-toss from Mohit over long-on for six. GT brought in R Sai Kishore’s left-arm spin in the 19th over to counter right-handed Tristan Stubbs.

But the batter creamed the drives twice in the gap between extra-cover and long-off, followed by clubbing the spinner for two mammoth sixes over long-on in the 22-run over. In the last over, Pant managed to clear long-on for six and sliced a four despite losing balance against Mohit. He would pull, loft and swivel Mohit for maximums on the last three balls of the innings to take 31 runs off the final over.

Today was the 12th instance of three or more DC bowlers conceding 40-plus runs in an innings, five of which have come in 2024 alone.

Most runs scored in last four overs of an IPL run-chase
79 – MI vs RCB, Dubai, 2020
71 – SRH vs KKR, Kolkata, 2024
70 – CSK vs SRH, Dubai, 2020
68 – SRH vs RR, Pune, 2022
68 – GT vs DC, Delhi, 2024
Each of the above five ended in defeats, the first after a tied finish.

GT in run-chases
IPL 2022 and 2023: 14 wins, four defeats
2024: Three wins, three defeats

50-plus score, wicket and a catch in an IPL match for DC
(66, 1/28, 3 catches) – Axar Patel vs GT, Delhi, 2024
(54, 4/17, 2 catches) – JP Duminy vs SRH, Visakhapatnam, 2015
(53, 1/7, 1 catch) – Paul Collingwood vs KKR, Delhi, 2010
(71, 1/21, 1 catch) – Virender Sehwag vs CSK, Chennai, 2008