The Delhi Capitals, languishing in last place, earned their second victory of the Indian Premier League season with a six-wicket win over the Lucknow Super Giants on Friday.
Debutant batter Jake Fraser-McGurk starred for the Capitals with a resilient 50, guiding the visitors to a crucial victory at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
DC Bowlers Take Control
Lucknow opted to bat first, but their innings got off to a shaky start as opener Quinton de Kock fell early to Khaleel Ahmed. Despite KL Rahul's attempt to anchor the innings with a 39-run knock, Delhi's bowlers kept the pressure on, taking wickets at regular intervals.
Kuldeep Yadav, returning to the starting lineup alongside Mukesh Kumar, led the bowling attack with three wickets. Mukesh chipped in with one wicket, leaving Lucknow struggling at 94-7 after 13 overs. Khaleel Ahmed, who dismissed two batsmen early on, returned to complete his spell and finished with impressive figures of 2-41 in four overs.
Badoni's Late Surge Sets Target
Ayush Badoni's explosive unbeaten knock of 55 runs towards the end helped Lucknow Super Giants set a target of 168 runs for Delhi. The partnership between Arshad Khan and Badoni, worth 73 runs, now stands as the highest eighth-wicket partnership in the tournament's history.
McGurk Shines in Debut
In reply, DC openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner failed to provide a solid start, dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi and Yash Thakur for a combined total of just 40 runs.
Skipper Rishabh Pant and debutant Jake Fraser-McGurk then took responsibility to steer Delhi towards victory. McGurk impressed on his DC debut with his blazing knock, including five sixes and two boundaries, showcasing his potential and providing much-needed inspiration for the struggling franchise.
Tristan Stubbs and Shai Hope eventually took Delhi over the line comfortably, propelling them to ninth place in the standings.
