Prabhsimran Singh sets up, Harpreet Brar confirms Punjab’s win & Delhi’s ouster

“He will get there in time,” Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer would back his 22-year-old opener on the eve of the game against Delhi Capitals. Barring a fifty and a couple of 40s, Prabhsimran Singh had flattered to deceive this season, falling as many as six times in the Powerplay. On Saturday though, he bagged an eye-catching IPL hundred, his first, rescuing his side as wickets fell at the other end.

Early in the game, Prabhsimran would watch three of his teammates return to the dugout before the field restrictions were lifted, with just 46 runs on the board. The slow wicket wasn’t conducive to blind slogging and required strong back-foot smarts to clear the ropes.

1️⃣0️⃣3️⃣ runs
6️⃣5️⃣ balls
🔟 fours
6️⃣ sixes

Prabhsimran Singh rose to the occasion and scored a memorable ton 👏🏻👏🏻

Relive his impressive century here 🎥🔽 #TATAIPL | #DCvPBKS https://t.co/XGLeuwmRxK

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 13, 2023

Prabhsimran would fly close to the sun himself but lived to tell the tale. A back-foot pull, and another on one knee landed close to fielders on the boundary. Rilee Rossouw would come the closest, but was unable to latch onto a thick edge at deep-square.

With luck by his side, the right-hander shepherded the Punjab innings, accelerating from 50 off 42 to 103 off 65 deliveries. The shift in gears, laced with 10 fours and six maximums, was much needed as Punjab had managed only 66 runs halfway into their innings.

Relive that special 💯 moment here 🔽#TATAIPL | #DCvPBKS https://t.co/eBGUL8gkVh pic.twitter.com/uWI2uW8vB8

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 13, 2023

A strong back-foot play to buy himself more time stood out in Prabhsimran’s innings. As did the sitting-on-one-knee dispatch, over an array of final destinations from deep square-leg to long-on.

Clean lofts and slogs may have been the backbone of his innings but Prabhsimran wouldn’t shy away from being a textbook player when the situation called for it. Like Mitchell Marsh’s back-of-a-length delivery that was cut past backward point, the Ishant Sharma leg-cutter that was met with a cover drive, or the slower one from the veteran that was met with a straight drive. The shot that brought his hundred was as picturesque as any he’d managed on the night: a low full toss outside off-stump sliced through the backward point region by opening the face of the bat.

Harpreet turns the game

Chasing 168, Phil Salt and David Warner barely broke a sweat as they smacked 65 in the Powerplay. Harpreet Brar had been picked for three boundaries, coming in to bowl the third over, and another just after the Powerplay.

Harpreet Brar registered a fabulous 4️⃣-wicket haul and he becomes our 🔝 performer from the second innings of the #DCvPBKS clash in the #TATAIPL 👌🏻

A look at his bowling summary 🔽 pic.twitter.com/oUNCcBQtIW

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 13, 2023

In his second over though, the left-arm orthodox laid the trap for Punjab’s first breakthrough. A delivery that turned was followed by one that came in with the arm; a quicker one that cleaned up Salt.

Warner, who scored a 27-ball-54, lasted only till Brar’s third over. A tossed-up delivery that was drifting down the legside accounted for him. But only after Rilee Rossouw had found the fielder at deep midwicket earlier in the same over. In his last over, Brar cleaned up Manish Pandey with the big turner, completing a 4-fer and turning the tide in Punjab’s favor for a 31-run win.