IPL 2017: Delhi Daredevils play spoiler in win over Rising Pune Supergiant

Delhi Daredevils batsman Pat Cummins, left, plays a shot as Rising Pune Supergiants wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, centre, looks on during their 2017 Indian Premier League match at The Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on May 12, 2017. Sajjad Hussain / AFP

Delhi Daredevils are out of contention in the Indian Premier League but they ensured their rivals on Friday, third-placed Rising Pune Supergiant, have no easy run in the play-offs.

A disciplined bowling effort from hosts Delhi saw Pune fall short by seven runs in their run chase of 169 on a short ground at the Feroz Shah Kotla despite sizeable and quick efforts from Manoj Tiwary (60), Steve Smith (38) and Ben Stokes.

Tiwary even survived two dropped catches but even some big-hitting in the final overs from him failed to make it count for a winning cause.

Earlier, Delhi scored 168-8 with Karun Nair (64) and Rishabh Pant (36) doing the bulk of the scoring as wickets fell at regular intervals. Nair was named Man of the Match.

Captain Zaheer Khan took two early wickets in defence of that total before Mohammed Shami pegged Pune back in the slog overs with two wickets and a run-out of MS Dhoni.

“It is important to keep winning, put up a good show,” Zaheer said in the post-match presentation. “This was a different kind of wicket. We were aiming for 170.”

His counterpart Smith denied complacency was the reason for the defeat. “We are taking it a game at time. We lost wickets at important times,” the Pune captain said.

“You get down to the crunch time, you have to win some games. Every game is a final.

“We played some pretty good cricket, but you can’t win every game.”

* The National staff

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