END OF OVER:20 | 23 Runs | RCB: 171/5 | RR: 8.55
- AB de Villiers75 (42b)
- Daniel Sams3 (2b)
- Marcus Stoinis1-0-23-0
- Avesh Khan4-0-24-1
9.33pm Players on the field now. No reduction in overs. Sams has the ball, over the wicket to Shaw, slip in place.
9.25pm No improvement in conditions yet. The players are still in the dugout.
Atit: "Sandstorm in Ahmedabad? My hometown and can't remember when did this happen before" ---- There had been a dust storm and unseasonal rain in April 2019, it seems. In Gujarat and parts of Saurashtra. That one had been fatal, there was loss of life.
Prathap: "Would the sand from the storm dry up the dew to some extent ? " ----
Do not have a definitive answer for that Prathap.
AB de Villiers' 42-ball 75* has given RCB 171/5. Capitals need a big start now. Watch live on Disney+Hotstar (India only)
9.15pm There's a sandstorm at the ground right now. We're likely to have a slight delay. The batters are ready, but people can barely keep their eyes open right now. It's a furious wind.
Sahaj Pancholia: "I stay around 6-7 kms away from the stadium and we literally have to close every door and window at our house just to ensure our stuff doesn't get damaged. Hopefully things will get better in next 15-20 mins and we don't see rains (finger crossed)"
Nimesh: "Ahmedabad is my home town and let me tell you sand storm is not common here. But since we have a sand storm, can we please have an epic "desert storm" innings from Shaw or Pant please?"
Quickest to 5000 IPL runs in terms of balls faced:
1) AB de Villiers - 161 innings, 3288 balls
2) David Warner - 135 innings, 3554 balls
3) Suresh Raina - 173 innings, 3620 balls
4) Rohit Sharma - 188 innings, 3817 balls
5) Virat Kohli - 157 innings, 3827 balls
6) Shikhar Dhawan - 168 innings, 3956 balls
Hamza: "That is trademark AB de Villiers for you. Comes to the crease, understands the track, collects singles and then goes haywire at the death. Simply outrageous hitting that. Stoinis gets a taste of harsh hitting."
Ronak: "Can someone please go the DC mgmt and tell them to have a senior player in the playing 11 to take responsibility for helping Pant manage bowlers. One bad over in t20 can change games. How poor was that call from pant to bowl Stoinis at the end? "
Aravind: "Let's appreciate the critical contribution of Patidar in that partnership of 54 with ABD at at a decent run rate of 8 an over at a time when RCB would have looked very shaky had another quick wicket fallen. That set the foundation for the launch to 171"
Piyush Jaiswal: "The thing with a finisher like ABD is you can never say it's over till the last over is bowled. He can make up for a relatively slow start in a matter of mere 6 balls!"
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9.05pm Pant looks forlorn as Capitals walk off the pitch. That punt on Stoinis has taken away the edge they had on RCB between overs 16 and 19. I'm not wondering if AB was looking to minimise the risks so he could be on strike against Stoinis at the end. Whatever it was, it has worked out nicely. Once again for RCB, AB de Villiers has shown up. Went past 5,000 IPL runs in the process today. He's made 75 of the 111 they got after he came in at 60 for 3. A neat little innings from Patidar as well, who gave it away just as he looked to have sized up the pitch. for Delhi - it was a good bowling performance overall, barring Rabada and Stoinis there at the end. They'll be disappointed at conceding 171. Back soon for the chase.
Aj : "I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to bowl gentle medium pacers to AB De Villiers, but you should pay dearly for making that decision. "
mohit: "@John R let's rephrase it then, Can Stoinis do a Harshal."
John R: "With all due respect, never thought I'd see the day people would tell ABD to do a Jadeja!!"
Anand kumar San: "RCB need a jadeja kind of over to be competative"
END OF OVER:19 | 9 Runs | RCB: 148/5 | RR: 7.78
- AB de Villiers53 (36b)
- Daniel Sams3 (2b)
- Avesh Khan4-0-24-1
- Kagiso Rabada4-0-38-1
Avesh has conceded 13 off his last two overs. AB only got 8 off him today in seven balls. Now Stoinis coming on for the last over.
Is AB going down for the scoop now? Will he keep bowling the yorker?
END OF OVER:18 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | RCB: 139/5 | RR: 7.72
- AB de Villiers47 (32b)
- Kagiso Rabada4-0-38-1
- Avesh Khan3-0-15-1
Washington Sundar c & b Rabada 6 (16m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
Mayank Agarwal: "Would he give 1 over to Stoinis or gamble with Mishra at the death?" --- Stoinis for the 20th, I'm guessing
prathap_kaveti: "Why is still Sundar treated as an all rounder in t20's? Those 7-8 balls he faced in death is gold dust! "
Saksham: "@Laks: Can't even imagine it has been 9 years already since that Steyn Over. This superhuman AB just keeps going on and on!"
END OF OVER:17 | 4 Runs | RCB: 128/4 | RR: 7.52
- AB de Villiers37 (28b)
- Washington Sundar5 (7b)
- Avesh Khan3-0-15-1
- Kagiso Rabada3-0-27-0
Superb stuff from Avesh.