‘Like my first Test run 25 years ago’: Ganguly’s astounding remark after DC beat KKR in IPL 2023

Delhi Capitals huffed and puffed but somehow managed to drag themselves to their maiden win in IPL 2023 by beating Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in a run chase that was made to look far more difficult than it actually was.

Nonetheless, DC are on the board in this year’s IPL. It took them six attempts but it came at last. The relief on Axar Patel’s face after he hit the winning runs, the long hug that Ricky Ponting gave to captain David Warner and the comments of director of cricket Sourav Ganguly was a testimony to the relief the win against KKR had brought to the DC camp.

Ganguly even went on to compare the win with his first Test run scored in England in 1996. “Happy to get off the mark. I was sitting there in the dugout and thinking it was like getting my first Test run (about the pressure to get their first points of the season), 25 years ago. We were on the luckier side today,” Ganguly said after the low-scoring match at Kotla.

“We bowled well before as well this season. But the problem is the batting. We need to go back and look at ourselves and see how we can get better. Spinners bowled well. I know we have not played well and need to find a way to bat better. We work hard with the boys and get them back in form. Be it Prithvi, Manish, Mitch Marsh. They have been important players and around for a while for their respective teams. We have a day off tomorrow and then fly to Hyderabad, hopefully it will be a good batting wicket there, it usually is,” said the former India captain.

With their backs to the wall after five defeats on the trot, the DC bowling line-up collectively came to the party as KKR managed only 127 on a spicy deck which aided both pacers and spinners alike.

Warner, DC’s best batter this season, was struggling with his strike rate in earlier games but on Thursday, he smashed 57 off 41 with the target being reached with four balls to spare.

The DC batting, save Warner looked wobbly once again but a below-par score perhaps saved the day for the home team as the ball started gripping in the second half of the chase making it difficult for strokeplay. Axar Patel (19 not out off 22 balls) despite a groin strain managed to take his team past the finishing line.

DC’s victory was about two veterans winning the Powerplay contest for their team.

The 34-year-old Ishant (2/19 in 4 overs), who is well past his prime, got his first opportunity and used his oodles of experience to peg back KKR inside the ‘Bowling Powerplay’.

The 36-year-old Warner then showed his destructive avatar hitting as many as 10 boundaries in the ‘Batting Powerplay’ to kill the contest and earn his team’s first win of the competition.

The manner in which he swept, the two KKR spinners Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy hardly had any answers. In all, he hit 11 boundaries.

The win doesn’t alter DC’s standing in the points table as they remain last but the victory does give them hope for a turnaround.