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Rizvi and Nair make Delhi end IPL campaign on high
Punjab, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians are certain of filling the top four places but, with one game each to play, are fighting to finish in the top two spots.
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AFP - Sat, 24, May 2025
- 16:43 EDT
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Karun Nair and Samir Rizvi sealed the win with their knocks. / X/ @DelhiCapitals
Samir Rizvi hit an unbeaten 58 after Karun Nair celebrated his India Test recall with 44 as Delhi Capitals ended their IPL season with a consolation win over Punjab Kings on May 24.
Chasing 207 for victory, Delhi, who missed out on the play-off spot earlier, rode a 62-run stand between Nair and Rizvi to reach their target with three balls and six wickets to spare in Jaipur.
Nair, who made a return to the Test team after eight years when the squad was announced early May 24, departed in the 15th over but Rizvi sealed victory with his first IPL fifty.
"Feels amazing, we truly deserve this," said Nair, who added that he was flooded with messages on his India return. "Haven't been at our best. But tonight shows we're a good team that had bad games."
The 21-year-old Rizvi hit three fours and five sixes including the winning hit over the fence in his 25-ball knock.
Punjab, who had already qualified for the playoffs, posted 206-8 after skipper Shreyas Iyer made 53 and Marcus Stoinis hit an unbeaten 44 off 16 balls but the effort was not enough.
Punjab, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians are certain of filling the top four places but, with one game each to play, are fighting to finish in the top two spots which offer two shots at reaching the final on June 3.
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With nothing to lose, Delhi started their chase strongly as KL Rahul and stand-in-skipper Faf du Plessis hit 35 and 23.
South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen cut short Rahul's 21-ball knock and Du Plessis fell to Harpreet Brar.
Delhi were in further trouble when Afghanistan's Sediqullah Atal departed on 22 but Nair and Rizvi put the chase back on track with their brisk fourth-wicket partnership.
Nair hit five fours and two sixes in his 27-ball stay.
Brar bowled Nair but Rizvi kept up the charge and reached his fifty in 22 balls and put on an unbeaten 53-run stand with Tristan Stubbs, who made 18.
Put into bat, Punjab lost an early wicket before England batsman Josh Inglis hit back in his 12-ball 32 as he put on 47 runs with Prabhsimran Singh, who made 28.
Iyer stood firm and despite losing a couple of partners kept up the scoring.
Stoinis came out attacking with regular boundaries and Iyer reached his fifty with a four off Mukesh Kumar in 25-run 17th over.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav sent back Iyer and then Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai in the next over.
Australia's Stoinis kept up the charge but his late blitz ended in vain.
"Every team is equally poised in this tournament. You gotta stay positive and calm," said Iyer. "We'll come back with a strong set of plans."
fk/pb
© Agence France-Presse
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