Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer hits a boundary as KKR wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik looks on in Sharjah on Saturday.
Over the past couple of years Delhi Capitals have come out as a side that can’t be taken lightly, gone are the days when they were pushed over by the other Indian Premier League giants.
And two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders got a good idea of that when they were clobbered for 228 runs at the high-scoring Sharjah International stadium in the 18-run loss.
Most of the credit for the win goes to DC’s skipper who put in a splendid 38-ball 88 knock after coming in at no.3 to ensure their side had the psychological impact going into second innings.
Speaking after the game, Iyer admitted that Sharjah is a special ground for him.
“It is really difficult to defend here. It has been such an amazing tournament, especially in Sharjah. It is always a thrill to play at this ground, the last time I played here was in the under-19s. Winning the match was the icing on the cake,” he said.
The match had some bad news for the winning side after their experienced spinner Amit Mishra had to leave the field with an arm injury and could only ball only two overs in the game. Mishra did leave his impact on the game as he caught the big fish Shubman Gill at a crucial stage.
Speaking about Mishra's injury, Shreyas said his premature departure could have cost them dearly.
“Unfortunate to lose Mishra in the middle when he was spinning the ball really well. Anything could happen, it is a funny game is T20s and especially here in Sharjah. We really have a good platform and we have to be insatiable with our work ethics and keep getting better game after game,” he said.
