IPL’22: Quinton de Kock’s 80 powers Lucknow Giants to victory by 6 wickets vs DC.

Mumbai, April 7: South African batsman Quinton de Kock posted a knock of 80 runs with 2 sixes and 9 fours from 52 balls, to deny Delhi Capitals any chance to continue their winning spree in the IPL’22 on Thursday.

Earlier Delhi’s Prithvi Shaw put up a magnificent fifty while Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan’s recovery from middle overs onwards was not enough for Delhi Capitals as Lucknow Super Giants restricted them to 149 for 3 in the IPL match at DY Patil Stadium here on Thursday. Pant and Sarfaraz’s 75 off 57 for the fourth wicket following the collapse in  the middle-ensured Delhi bowlers had a decent score to defend after it appeared that they would manage a lot less. Shaw was in a different zone in the Powerplay as he smoked Lucknow bowlers all round the park, but Lucknow spinners came back strongly and changed the complexion of the game post-powerplay. Looking in great touch, Shaw got Delhi off to a good star. He hit a quickfire 61 off 34 balls that was studded with 9 boundaries and 2 sixes, before he departed. This was his first fifty this season. Earlier, he had scored 38 runs against Mumbai Indians and 10 against Gujarat Titans. Shaw cut loose in the second over. He smacked two fours off Krishnappa Gautam and then he thumped Jason Holder, sending out a clear message that he was unstoppable tonight. In Avesh Khan’s over, he smashed three boundaries in a row, which saw Delhi reaching 50 in 5.4 overs, and David Warner had only 3 runs in this. In the three matches so far, Shaw has scored 109 runs, indicating his good form. Once Gowtham sent Shaw back into the hut, Delhi lost the momentum. Warner, who was watching everything from the other end when Shaw was going berserk, cut one to backward point and then Rovman Powell (3) fell cheaply. Pant (39 not out off 36) could not get going. At one stage he just made 6 off 17 balls, but made amends by garnering 18 runs in an over of Andrew Tye. This flurry of runs was there to end as Lucknow gave away just 19 runs off the last 3 overs with Holder and Avesh bowling superbly. Lucknow spinners choked Delhi in the middle and then the pacers finished it off well. (UNI)