A tale of belief, bold batting, and the ball that turned Delhi's playoff fate forever
The playoffs used to be a familiar horror movie for the Delhi Capitals where, no matter how promising the start, something always went horribly wrong by the end. Before 2019, Delhi's record in the knockout stages of the IPL was so bleak it could have passed for a Shakespearean tragedy. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, had worn the playoff hat with poise — champions in 2016, always in the hunt.
So, when the two sides clashed in the Eliminator on 8 May 2019 in Visakhapatnam, many expected SRH to waltz through. What unfolded instead was a cricketing thriller that ended with one ball remaining — and a different Delhi rising from the ashes.
Credit: ESPN
SRH's innings was a classic case of momentum gained and then squandered. Martin Guptill came out swinging with a 19-ball 36, hitting 4 sixes along the way. Vijay Shankar later added some sizzle with 25 runs off just 11 balls, striking at a blazing 227.
However, the in-between was slow poison. Manish Pandey (30 off 36) and Kane Williamson (28 off 27) stitched together a forgettable middle phase that stifled the run rate.
From 90/2 in the 14th over, SRH clawed their way to 162/8. Keemo Paul (4-0-32-3) was Delhi's strike force, while Amit Mishra (4-0-16-1) choked the middle overs with an abundance of dot balls. It wasn't a poor total, but it wasn't intimidating either.
Credit: ESPN
Delhi began their reply with intent. Prithvi Shaw tore into the SRH attack as fearless as ever, hitting 6 boundaries and 2 sixes in a 38-ball 56. When he departed at 87/3 in the 11th over, Delhi had established a solid base but still faced a tricky chase ahead.
Then came the wobbles.
Colin Munro, Axar Patel, and Sherfane Rutherford fell in quick succession. Rashid Khan (4-1-15-2) bowled like a man possessed, halting the flow of runs and claiming back-to-back wickets. In 16 overs, Delhi had lost 6 wickets. They still needed 42 off 24 balls. The Eliminator was slipping — again.
Credit: ESPN
Enter Rishabh Pant. The left-hander didn't just swing; he swatted, smashed, and soared. A towering six here, a flicked boundary there — Pant was in full beast mode. He hammered 49 off 21 balls with 5 sixes, pushing DC to the brink.
But cricket loves drama.
In the 19th over, Pant holed out. Amit Mishra was then given out for obstructing the field — a bizarre, rare dismissal that left jaws on the floor and the game hanging in the balance. Suddenly, Delhi needed 2 runs from 2 balls, with just one wicket left.
Credit: ESPN
Keemo Paul had the ball in his slot and a clear mind. With one to win off two, he flicked a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery past mid-wicket. Just like that, Delhi had achieved the unthinkable — won a playoff match.
165/8 in 19.5 overs, 2 wickets left, 1 ball to spare.
Credit: India Today
It encompassed everything—drama, chaos, skill, and a nail-biting finale that took our breath away. Above all, it marked the night when Delhi's cricketing spirit began to pulse with a fresh rhythm.
However, Delhi fell short against CSK in Qualifier 2 and missed the final.
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