Delhi Capitals All But Eliminate Punjab Kings From Play-Offs Race Despite Liam Livingstone Heroics

Beleaguered Delhi Capitals finally came out all guns blazing as they played party poopers to all but knock Punjab Kings out of play-off contention with a 15-run victory in the IPL, on Wednesday. Already out of the playoff race, Delhi Capitals finally came to the party in their penultimate match of the season to post an imposing 213/2 after PBKS opted to bowl.

Rilee Rossouw exhibited some exceptional strokeplay in a 37-ball 82 not out, while Prithvi Shaw (54; 38b) also slammed a fifty on his comeback after about a month as DC scored their first 200-plus total of this season.

In response, PBKS managed just 198/8 in the stipulated 20 overs despite all the fielding harakiri committed by DC.

Englishman Liam Livingstone slammed a 48-ball 94, studded with five fours and as many as nine sixes, but it was not enough as the total proved too much.

While Delhi now are ninth on the table after a consolation win, Punjab Kings due to this heavy defeat stay put on 12 after 13 games and even a win in the last match and a 14-point finish might not be enough as the net run-rate -0.308 only added insult to injury.

The Preity Zinta co-owned side since their 2014 final appearance, have not even made it to last four stage for nine years in a row.

But DC's fielding effort did give them enough chances.

As many as three catches were dropped including Livingstone on three, and Taide on 35, both in the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav who returned with 0/21 from his three overs.

They also missed two run-out chances when both the batters, Livingstone and Taide, were out of the crease but DC could not manage to hit the stumps on a sloppy outing.

PBKS took a tactical decision to retire out rookie Atharva Taide after his 42-ball 55 (5x4, 2x6) as he simply