Ishant Sharma completes 100 matches in IPL career

NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals pace bowler Ishant Sharma played his 100th Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Punjab Kings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

The 34-year-old bowler left his mark in the game as he picked up two crucial wickets in the powerplay.

PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone became his victim at scores of 7(5) and 4(5) respectively.

In his 100 appearances, Ishant has picked up 81 wickets with an economy of 8.07. His best bowling figure in IPL history is 5/12.

His first and only five-wicket haul came in 2011 for Deccan Charges against Kochi Tuskers. It was the year in which he started tapping into his prime form.

Overall Ishant has played 151 T20 matches and he has managed to pick up 123 wickets with an economy of 7.76.

Ishant has been one of the standout players for DC this season. In Delhi's do-or-die game, he gave the hosts a platform to restrict Punjab for a low score.

However, Prabhsimran Singh's maiden century overshadowed his contribution.

Put to bat first, PBKS did not get the ideal start as they lost wickets in the early stage of the innings.

Punjab's skipper Shikhar Dhawan returned to the dressing room in the 1.2 over when Ishant Sharma took his wicket.

In the 5th over, Ishant Sharma again got the breakthrough for DC, this time Liam Livingstone got dismissed at just four runs. Axar Patel then picked Jitesh Sharma in the next over.

After the end of the powerplay, PKBS were at 46/3. Prabhsimran Singh 21 * off 20 balls and Sam Curran 1* off one ball.

The duo Curran and Prabhsimran tried to do the damage control. They build 50 runs partnership for the 4th wicket which gave little relief to the troubled PBKS batting.

Prabhsimran clinched a brilliant fifty in 42 balls. Punjab's 100-run mark came at 13.1 overs.

Curran was dismissed in the 14.4 overs by Praveen Dubey at 20 off 24 balls. Kuldeep Yadav took the scalp of Harpreet Brar in the 16.1 over. He scored just two runs.

Wickets were falling from one end, but Prabhsimran kept his attacking game on.

He clinched a blistering maiden IPL century in just 62 balls. Prabhsimran's outstanding innings ended in the penultimate over when Mukesh Kumar got him at the leg stump.

In the last over, Khaleel Ahmed dismissed Shahrukh Khan, PBKS posted 167/7 in 20 overs.