On his IPL debut, Australian sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk stole the spotlight with a fiery half-century, complemented by spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s stellar performance, propelling Delhi Capitals to a commanding six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday. Ayush Badoni’s unbeaten 55 off 35 balls guided the Super Giants to a respectable total of 167/7 after Kuldeep’s impressive three-wicket haul restricted them. Fraser-McGurk’s explosive innings, combined with skipper Rishabh Pant’s contribution of 41 runs, steered Delhi Capitals to their second win of the season.
Fraser-McGurk’s aggressive batting style was evident as he dispatched a length delivery from Yash Thakur over deep mid-wicket for his maiden IPL runs, following it up with another six in the next over. Despite Prithvi Shaw’s promising start, Ravi Bishnoi’s swift dismissal of the opener halted Delhi Capitals’ momentum briefly at 63/2. However, Pant’s authoritative strokeplay, including a reverse scoop off Marcus Stoinis, reignited the innings. Pant’s milestone of reaching 3,000 runs in the IPL was marked by a straight six off Bishnoi’s bowling, breaking Delhi’s boundary drought. Fraser-McGurk’s onslaught of sixes off Stoinis brought the equation to nearly a run-a-ball.
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Returning from injury, Kuldeep’s superb spell of 3/20, devoid of any boundaries, rattled the Lucknow Super Giants’ top order, dismissing KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, and Nicholas Pooran. Khaleel Ahmed’s early breakthroughs, along with contributions from Ishant Sharma and Mukesh Kumar, had the hosts struggling at 94/7. However, Badoni’s aggressive batting, accompanied by Arshad Khan’s valuable 20 off 16 balls, propelled Lucknow Super Giants to a competitive total.
Opting to bat, Quinton de Kock’s brisk start was curtailed by Khaleel’s leg-before-wicket decision in the third over, followed by Devdutt Padikkal’s dismissal for a single-digit score. Rahul’s boundary-hitting spree kept Lucknow Super Giants afloat until Kuldeep’s introduction triggered a batting collapse. Kuldeep’s cunning deliveries accounted for crucial wickets, including Stoinis and Pooran, while Ishant and Mukesh joined the bowling onslaught.
In response, Delhi Capitals’ chase was anchored by Fraser-McGurk’s explosive debut, supported by Pant’s aggressive innings, sealing a morale-boosting victory for the team.
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