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Quinton de Kock showed imperious form in his 80 off 52 balls as Lucknow Super Giants outplayed Delhi Capitals by six wickets for their third successive win in their debut IPL season.
Delhi Capitals lost their way after a sizzling knock from opener Prithvi Shaw (61 off 31) to end at 149/3 after Lucknow decided to field first. Rishabh Pant played an uncharacteristic 36 ball 39 that did not help Delhi cause.
With the resources that Lucknow possess, 150 should have been a comfortable chase and the KL Rahul-led side made sure it was, getting home with two balls to spare on a tricky surface.
De Kock was at his destructive best as he shared a 73-run stand with opening partner Rahul (24 off 25). After Rahul’s fall, his team needed 76 off the last 10 overs. De Kock, who hit nine fours and two sixes, put the team on the cusp of victory with his second 50-plus score of the tournament.
Earlier, Shaw’s knock was all class before Lucknow bounced back in the game with an impressive bowling performance. Young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2/22) was the standout performer.
David Warner (4 off 12), returning to the franchise where he made his IPL debut back in 2009, struggled in his first innings of the season. Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 149/3 (Shaw 61, Rishabh Pant 39*, Sarfaraz Khan 36*; Bishnoi 2/22); Lucknow Super Giants: 155/4 in 19.4 overs (de Kock 80; Kuldeep 2/31).
