Match 15 in the 2022 IPL was a dull affair. Despite only seven wickets falling in the match, the overall run rate was less than 8 RPO. However, the two openers from both teams, Prithvi Shaw and Quinton de Kock, did offer some fireworks, especially Shaw, who was magnificent. LSG eventually came out on top as they defeated DC by six wickets, and they’re now level with KKR on the IPL points table. Let’s look at some key moments from the game.
Shaw’s off side play
It is not often that a player outscores David Warner in any format of the game. When Shaw fell in the eighth over, DC’s score was 67. Shaw scored 61 of those, with Warner scoring just four runs. Warner did struggle to time the ball, but Shaw compensated for that by blasting the LSG bowlers all over the park.
Shaw was severe on anything slightly short and wide, as he scored 20 runs just through the cut short, with all of them coming in boundaries. Overall, Shaw scored 72.13% of his runs on the off side. What was remarkable was that a lot of those deliveries weren’t even too wide, but Shaw created the room to free his arms. The shot also brought his downfall as he tried to cut a ball from Krishnappa Gowtham that wasn’t too wide.
Rovman Powell at 3
Shaw was going all guns blazing, and after his wicket, it was natural for DC to send in another attacker to continue the free flow of runs. However, DC erred by sending probably the wrong batter to do that job.
With spinners bowling in tandem, it didn’t make much sense to send in Powell ahead of Sarfaraz Khan or even Rishabh Pant. Powell’s absence in the death was felt more, and it seemed like his wicket was wasted by sending him up the order when spinners were bowling. In all T20s, Powell strikes at 149.74 against pace and just 115.48 against spin, which is a drastic drop. It was a big goof-up that cost DC valuable runs.
Jason Holder’s death-overs brilliance
Jason Holder has been given the task to open the bowling for LSG. He started nicely, conceding just four runs but was taken apart by Shaw for 14 runs in his second over. Holder was then taken out of the attack.
Holder returned at the death to bowl the 18th and the 20th over. He ended up conceding just 13 runs from those two overs. No boundaries were scored in those two overs. The key reason behind his success was his unpredictability. Not only did he mix his pace, but he also kept changing his line and length on each delivery, which made it difficult for batters to line him up.