Live blog - Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals - A Capital win as Titans ...

Player Of The Match

16* (11), 2 catches & 2 stumpings

At the start of the fourth over, Gujarat Titans were projected to reach 169. By the start of the sixth over, they were trending much lower, to 120. In the end, they were bowled out for double-digits, 89. It was their lowest ever IPL total, having been brought into the tournament in 2022.

Four of the six bowlers that Delhi Capitals used returned economy rates of 4.5 or less, setting up the batters to go out there and do their thing. The chase was done in 53 balls with six wickets to spare and that mattered. Capitals are now in sixth place, above Titans on the points table, because their net run-rate rose from -0.975 to -0.074.

1h ago

The new kid on the block doesn't waste any time.

Jake Fraser McGurk gets off the mark with a six. A six that means Capitals have already shaved 1/15th of their target.

Short and sweet innings ends. 20 off 9.

At the start of the fourth over, Gujarat Titans were projected to reach 169. By the start of the sixth over, they were trending much lower, to 120. In the end, they were bowled out for double-digits, 89. It is their lowest ever IPL total, having been brought into the tournament in 2022.

Oh this is why we need Rishabh Pant. Right at the start, the giggle that was caught on the mic because he and Shubman Gill were just staring at each other as he needed an extra second or two to remember what the plan was after winning the toss.

Then with Kuldeep Yadav unhappy with a wayward throw, acting like he had suffered a mortal wound, Pant ran over to the bowler, put one hand around his shoulders and used the other one to stroke his chest. There there. Don't worry. Be happy.

Finally the child-like glee at the Shahrukh Khan stumping. At how a mistake that he'd made actually did turn up okay. A lot of his fans - and India fans - must be thrilled that he's back playing cricket again because he is a gamechanger. But really, he's so much more than that. He reminds people to smile. To enjoy themselves. To have fun. Just by smiling and having fun himself.

6 instances of an IPL game this season with no sixes in the first 10 overs, including tonight.

Rahul Tewatia batting in the powerplay. Manohar playing out a maiden and taking nine deliveries to get off the mark. Giving TWO wickets to Tristan Stubbs, who's only bowled 177 balls in his entire 79-match T20 career. None of this will have been part of the plan for the Titans.

The second wicket is incredible. Once more the ball turns more than the batter expects. It goes through to Rishabh Pant. He is beyond excited, because he has seen Shahrukh Khan's back foot waaaay out of the crease. That might have played a part in how he grabs for the ball, hard-handed, and therefore doesn't collect it cleanly. But it didn't matter because the ball just bounced off his gloves and onto the wicket. Stumped in stunning fashion.

At the start of the fourth over, Titans were projected to reach 169. Then Saha fell.

And Sudharsan was run-out by a splendid effort from Sumit Kumar, running in from short midwicket, and underarming a direct hit at the bowler's end.

Finally David Miller was caught behind with Pant taking a great catching diving low to his left, and then making the right DRS call.

At the start of the sixth over, Titans' projected score is only 120

Pant isn't satisfied with even that because he immediately calls back Khaleel Ahmed for a third over inside the first six. Remember Khaleel swings the ball. And the middle order has been busted open. Pant wants to break the opposition right here right now. Impressive captaincy. The wicket doesn't come, but a maiden does. Titans 30 for 4 at the end of the powerplay.

13 wickets for Delhi Capitals in the powerplay this season, the most by any team. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals have 11 each.

We're playing on a black-soil pitch tonight and they tend to make the ball hold up in the pitch. That could be one of the reasons why Gill was going for his shots so early. He must have been focused on taking advantage of the ball when its hard and new. Already there are signs of misbehavior. In the fourth over, a seam-up delivery from Mukesh Kumar, came off the pitch much slower, and hit the bat much higher, than Sudharsan expected.

Even worse, it's now contributed to a wicket. Saha goes hard at a back of a length ball, but he is through the shot too soon. Only manages an inside edge that then wrecks his own stumps. This will not be the game that gives T20 cricket its first 300 total. Strap in for a 150 vs 150 clash.

3h ago

Sai Sudharsan isn't really the kind of batter who thinks these things, but by striking two fours in the over immediately after Gujarat Titans lost their best batter, he's made sure the impact of that early wicket is diminished. Now I say he's not that kind of player because his primary focus is always do respond to the ball in front of him and exclude everything else. Simplify the game so that he can be successful. He's a good guy to have in a tough situation and he's keeping up with the pace at which T20 is played.

3h ago

Left here for scientific purposes.

4h ago

And the local boy who comes calling in opposition colours.

4h ago

We're nearly a month in. This is around the time the fates of these ten teams start take shape. You can still recover from slip ups but you'd much rather be building that momentum. Like Gujarat Titans, who without David Miller have looked half the side they are, but they still managed to beat the form team of this IPL, the Rajasthan Royals, in their last game, to sound that old alarm again. Shubman Gill said it himself. "When GT is playing, don't think that, eh?"

Ricky Ponting, Rishabh Pant and Delhi Capitals - who are dealing with injury enforced absences themselves - will know better than to think the game is theirs until it is finally theirs.