Another disappointing effort with bat: Warner after loss to PBKS

NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings won the match against Delhi Capitals by 31 runs in Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi on May 13.

Following DC's loss skipper David Warner was not impressed with the batting as he said losing 3-4 wickets in quick succession is not good at this level of the game.

Punjab Kings defended their target of 168 runs and restricted Delhi Capitals to 136 in their clash on Saturday.

The performance from Punjab Kings was brilliant as they dominated the opposition in batting as well as bowling. After the win Punjab Kings moved up to the 6th position with six wins and six losses.

They have 12 points on the board. Whereas, Delhi Capital remain at the bottom and their campaign is over for this IPL season as there is no hope left for them to make it in the playoffs. Speaking on Punjab's exceptional performance, David Warner said during the post-match presentation,

"It was about trying to restrict them to a decent total. They got more than we would have liked. Prabhsimran batted really well, dropped chances cost us a few."

When asked about the batting display by Delhi Capitals, Warner said, "At the end of the day after the powerplay when you lose 6 for 30 not going to win a lot of games. Another disappointing effort with the bat after the good start we had. We found the right combination but we keep losing 3-4 quick wickets and you cannot do that at this level."

David Warner further added what he expects from his team in the remaining games. "You got to play for pride, and play with freedom".

Put to bat first by Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings posted a total of 167/7 in their 20 overs. None of the PBKS batters really stood out as wickets kept falling regularly. Prabhsimran Singh displayed immense maturity and power-hitting to smash 103 in just 65 balls. His knock consisted of 10 fours and six sixes. Sam Curran (20) was the next highest-scorer for PBKS.

Prabhsimran was given the 'Player of the Match award for his ton. Ishant Sharma was the pick of the DC bowlers, taking 2/27 in his three overs.

Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, and Mukesh Kumar took a wicket each. In the case of 168, DC started well with a 69-run opening stand between skipper David Warner (54 in 27 balls) and Phil Salt (21 in 17 balls). However, PBKS found their way back in the game due to game-changing spells by spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar. DC crumbled under pressure and could make only 136/8 in their 20 overs. They lost the match by 31 runs.

PBKS is in the sixth spot with 12 points. They have won six matches, lost six, and have two games to go. DC has been knocked out of IPL 2023 and has four wins and eight losses, with two games to go. They have a total of eight points.