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Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Ishant Sharma stole the show with his bowling exploits during the team's IPL 2024 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, May 14. The veteran seamer bowled a terrific spell with the new ball, putting his side in a commanding position.
It was crucial for Lucknow to get off to a flying start, given that they were required to chase down a stiff 209-run target. However, they ultimately found themselves in a precarious position, courtesy of Ishant's bowling exploits.
The seasoned campaigner started the proceedings by sending back LSG skipper KL Rahul for five runs in the very first over. The opener was caught at cover-point by Mukesh Kumar while trying to play an attacking shot.
Ishant struck again in his subsequent over, getting rid of Quinton de Kock with a slower delivery. Mukesh took his second catch of the match as the southpaw departed after scoring 12 runs.
The right-arm bowler provided his team with yet another crucial breakthrough, dismissing Deepak Hooda LWB for a two-ball duck in the fifth over. Ishant conceded just 23 runs from his first three overs while bagging three important wickets.
Several fans took to social media, lauding Ishant's impactful spell. Here are some of the top reactions:
Many DC supporters expressed their excitement over Ishant's wonderful performance with posts like these:
"Ishant Sharma: How should I bowl today? Ponting: Remember your spell against me in Perth?" commented a fan.
"Ishant Sharma taking 3 wickets in the first 3 overs of his spell for 23 runs and putting Delhi capitals on the front foot it shows age is just a number and old is gold." wrote another .
"Ever-evolving Ishant Sharma. He has just been such a "wise" bowler for a long time with improvement in skills and variations. Siraj has a great modern idol for him to follow." chimed in yet another.
It is worth mentioning that Ishant's bowling delighted many RCB supporters as well, considering that DC trumping LSG would boost their chances of making it to the IPL 2024 playoffs.
"Ishant sharma true bestie of Kohli ji," posted a fan.
"Ishant Sharma helping Virat Kohli team. True friend for a reason." wrote another.
Tthis is Delhi's final league match of the edition. They are currently placed sixth in the points table with six wins from 13 outings.
Nicholas Pooran gave LSG some hope after Ishant Sharma's stunning spell
Ishant's three wickets early in the innings put Lucknow under tremendous pressure. However, Nicholas Pooran fought hard for his team with a defiant knock.
The southpaw took the Delhi bowlers to the cleaners, hitting four maximums and six fours. Pooran scored 61 runs off just 27 deliveries, finishing with a fantastic strike rate of 225.93.
Pooran perished in the 12th over. He was dismissed while trying to hit a short-length ball from Mukesh Kumar towards the offside. The dynamic batter failed to get the connection right and was caught by Axar Patel at cover.
