PBKS vs DC: Key moments where Punjab Kings lost the match

Punjab Kings are still alive in the IPL 2023 playoffs race but just by a whisker. Their 15-run defeat to Delhi Capitals on Wednesday has dealt a massive blow to their qualification hopes with just one more game remaining for them. PBKS can now only reach 14 points and it’s only the fourth spot that they can aim for. Mumbai Indians are in the fourth spot with 14 points already.

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If MI beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match then it’s all over for PBKS. The reason for Punjab depending so much on other results is their defeat to Delhi Capitals at Dharamsala.

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In the game on Wednesday, PBKS bowled first on a pacy pitch and looked to have the control on the match before things went bad.

DC were 172/2 in the 18th over and PBKS would have aimed for a target of less than 200 but 41 runs were added in the last two overs as Delhi finished on 213.

Pacers disappoint and spin in the last over proves costly

Captain Shikhar Dhawan’s decision to bowl left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar against left-hand batter Rilee Rossouw backfired as the South Africa smashed the bowler for two sixes and a four in the final over and 23 in total came from it.

It was a big tactical blunder as the match-up was in Rossouw’s favour. With Arshdeep having two overs left and Rabada one, it looks like an even bigger blunder.

In Dhawan’s defence, Brar also bowled the 18th and 16th overs and conceded just 16 runs in those two overs in the death.

Maybe the captain wasn’t happy with his pacers who failed to take a wicket in the powerplay. Sam Curran, Nathan Ellis, Rabada and Arshdeep gave away 51 runs in five overs of pace in the powerplay.

“I felt my decision to bowl spin off the last over backfired. The momentum also went there. Before that, my fast bowlers got hit for 18-20 runs. Those two overs cost us the game,” Dhawan said after the match.

“We didn’t bowl really well in the first six overs, we should have taken some wickets out there. The way the pitch was offering swing and of course it’s a close game, but can’t help it. I feel that our bowlers did not pitch the ball up whereas they should have been. That was the plan but unfortunately they couldn’t implement it.

“In this sort of a wicket, whether we take wickets or not that’s a different thing, but we should bowl at the right areas which we are not doing for quite a long time and that’s hurting us. Every powerplay we are always giving 50-60 runs. And it’s not about taking 50-60, but we should be taking wickets as well,” he added.

Should Taide have retired out earlier?

Another area where PBKS fell short was maintaining the momentum at the start of their chase. Only 47 came in the powerplay and 81 was scored in the middle overs (7-15).

Atharva Taide made 55 off 42 at a strike rate of 131 from the No 3 spot but could not accelerate the run rate. He eventually retired out at the start of the 15th over.

70 runs were added in the last five overs as Liam Livingstone made 95 off 48 and PBKS finished on 198/8.

Taide become the second player to retire out after R Ashwin in IPL history but maybe the decision could have come earlier. By the 15th over, PBKS were left with a little too much to do and even a Livingstone special could not bail them out.

PBKS still have an outside chance to qualify for the playoffs but if they do not, Dhawan and Co will regret the blunders that did not allow them to seize the momentum.

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