Punjab dump Delhi to take top spot

Delhi Daredevils suffered a nail-biting four-run defeat against Kings XI Punjab in their first home game of the Indian Premier League at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi yesterday.

With the fifth win in six games, Kings XI jumped to top of the IPL standings with ten points. And with five defeats in six matches, Delhi are languishing at the bottom of the pile.

After winning the toss, Delhi restricted Kings XI to 143 for 8. Delhi made as many as five changes, including handing IPL debuts to young Prithvi Shaw and Liam Plunkett.

The rampaging Chris Gayle was forced to sit out the game due to a sore back and his absence was certainly felt by Kings XI.

Delhi quickly snuffed out the wicket of Aaron Finch through Avesh Khan in the second over. The six powerplay overs yielded 51 runs for the visitors for the loss of two wickets.

Chasing a 144-run target Shaw gave Delhi a whirlwind start, hitting three boundaries off Barinder Sran.

Needing 17 off the final over, Shreyas Iyer, who top scored for the hosts with 57, smacked a six and two fours off the first five balls but young spinner Mujeeb got the better of him and dismissed the right-hander with the final delivery to stop Daredevils on 139 for 8.

SCORES IN BRIEF

Kings XI Punjab: 143 for 8 (Nair 34, Miller 26, Rahul 23; Plunkett 3-17)

Delhi Daredevils: 139 for 8 (Iyer 57, Tewatia 24; Tye 2-25, Rajpoot 2-23)

Result: Kings XI won by 4 runs.

Player-of-the-match: Ankit Rajpoot