IPL 2020
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With a 17-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the Delhi Capitals entered their maiden IPL final. Delhi will face Indians from Mumbai in the November 10 summit clash in Dubai.

Chasing 190, the genius of Kane Williamson was on full display (67, 45b, 5×4, 4×6) before young Abdul Samad (33, 16b, 2×4, 2×6) brought down the equation from 10 balls to 23 runs. But in the penultimate, Kagiso Rabada dismissed Samad, Rashid Khan, and Shreevats Goswami to usher in the end.

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It was a day on which Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting’s every strategic punt paid off; whether it was bringing in Shimron Hetmyer for Prithvi Shaw or supporting Marcus Stoinis — a bright spot from the defeat of Mumbai Indians — as an opener in the PowerPlay or bowling the Aussie (3-0-26-3).

Stoinis (38, 27b, 5×4, 1×6) and Hetmyer (42 n.o., 22b, 4×4, 1×6) ensured that the fourth fifty (78, 50b, 6×4, 2×6) of the season was not wasted by Shikhar Dhawan. Then, after Rabada had bowled batting powerhouse David Warner off the pads for just two, Stoinis, bowling the fifth over, dismissed both Priyam Garg and Manish Pandey to reduce SRH to 44 for three.

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It brought together Williamson and Jason Holder and the former was at his delightful best, hitting Pravin Dubey, Rabada, Axar Patel and Stoinis with a six each. But the dismissal of Jason Holder ended the 46-run fourth-wicket stand, leaving Williamson with a great deal to do.

Abdul Samad caned Anrich Nortje for six and two fours, with 77 needed off 36 balls. But Williamson’s dismissal by Stoinis in the 17th over proved fatal for SRH.

Dhawan leads the way

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DC had previously spent the first two overs of its batting sizing the conditions up, scoring just 11 runs. In the seventh, Holder dropped Stoinis, on three, off Sandeep Sharma at short mid-on.

It seemed to free Stoinis, as before smashing Holder for 18 runs, including a six over mid-wicket and a flat-batted whack straight down, he struck Sandeep for two fours. DC racked up 50 runs in five overs.

Williamson went into a huddle with Warner and decided to bring Shahbaz Nadeem in. But the first delivery of the left-arm spinner was sent by Dhawan soaring over mid-wicket before a bad full toss was pulled past short fine-leg.

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The introduction of Rashid and T. Natarajan slowed things down, even sweeping up Stoini with a straighter one for the former. Dhawan, though, with a slog-swept six off Nadeem, eased to his half-century.

Shreyas played for a 20-ball 21, but after playing Rashid (4-0-26-1), after 16 overs, DC seemed primed for a big score of 145 for two. Also hitting Holder for four fours in a single over, Hetmyer did not disappoint. A superb 20th over (seven runs), Natarajan bowled, but it was not to be.

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