Ponting And Kuldeep Livid After DC Ruin 3 Catches And 1 Run Out Opportunity Against PBKS
Ponting was in disbelief [Twitter]
It was a night of missed opportunities for Delhi Capitals (DC) as they geared up to take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 64th fixture of the TATA IPL . Tasked with defending a mammoth 214, DC displayed an ordinary effort on the field and let go of very simple chances which left Kuldeep Yadav and the DC coach Ricky Ponting visibly frustrated.
However, these missed chances did not prove costly as in the end, Capitals ended up on the winning side and clinched a comfortable victory, effectively putting an end to PBKS's playoff journey in the 2023 IPL edition.
DC's complacency on the field first came to light when Kuldeep was introduced into the attack during the 8th over of PBKS's chase. Kuldeep Yadav tossed it up to Livingstone as he threw the kitchen sink at it only to find the bottom half of the bat. The ball lobbed straight up in the air and sailed to deep mid-wicket region at catchable height where Anrich Nortje made a meal of it. Kuldeep could not believe his luck and screamed out loud to voice his frustration.
The next one came in the 10th over when Yadav was denied a well deserved wicket when Yash Dhull at long on puts a dolly of a catch down against Taide. The PBKS batter was beginning to shift gears at this point and getting his wicket would have been a very rewarding experience for Kuldeep.
But much to his misfortune, that never really materialised. This time however, the wrist spinner did not emit any signs of animosity towards his fellow teammate. But Ponting's reaction to the dropped chance went viral and was seen burying his head in disbelief when the chance went begging.
It is not their awful catching that garnered so much negative attention. They missed several run out attempts too. First one to occur was in the last ball of the 6th over.
In the 11th over again, DC made a spectacular goof up as they missed two run out opportunities in the same ball, one at the striker's end and the other one at the non striker's end.
Nevertheless, the Delhi-based franchise got over the line despite their sloppy attitude on the field. They have their next game against the Chennai Super Kings on May 20.
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