Yuvraj Singh smashed a belligerent, unbeaten 66 and took four wickets, but in vain as the Delhi Daredevils battled to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) win of the season with a strong batting performance in a thrilling three-wicket triumph.
Yuvraj's innings and a 60 from Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, up the order had allowed the Pune Warriors to put 187 for five on the board, but David Warner (46) and Virender Sehwag (37) got the Delhi run-chase off to a positive start before the middle-order took them across the line with three wickets to spare.
"You always want to get your first win, especially in this competition," Warner said. "Hopefully, this brings momentum back home to Delhi.
"When you bat first, we didn't know how hard to go. Obviously, chasing we had serious depth in our batting there."
Keeping that in mind, Sehwag put Pune in to bat after winning the toss. Graeme Smith (12) top-edged a pull shot to third man and Pune had lost their first wicket for 28.
Ryder, however, was in a punishing mood at the other end and the home side scored 35 from the next two overs, racing to 63 after six overs.
The New Zealander reached his 50 from 24 balls, off a six, but departed soon after, clipping Shahbaz Nadeem to backward square-leg for an entertaining 27-ball 60.
Following his departure, the Warriors lost their rhythm a bit before Yuvraj Singh finished off with a flourish. Arguably, the recent World Cup's man of the tournament smacked a 32-ball 66 as the Pune Warriors finished on 187 for five. He took a particular liking to Ashok Dinda, smashing him for three sixes in the final over, which was worth 26 runs.
Undaunted, Warner and Sehwag came out guns blazing and 50 was on the board after only 29 balls. Pune got a breather when the Australian left-hander was run-out trying to pinch for a second.
Delhi had 75 on the board then from seven overs and to keep the momentum going, they promoted Irfan Pathan. A 22-run partnership followed before Ryder breached Sehwag's (37) defence.
Pathan (14) followed 19 runs later, hoisting Yuvraj to deep midwicket and Naman Ojha (11) was stumped next ball. Rahul Sharma then caught Matthew Wade (3) lbw and Delhi were five down for 120, still needing 68 runs from six overs.
They needed 41 from the last three and 20 of those runs came from the 18th as Aaron Finch clubbed Shrikant Wagh for two massive sixes.
Yuvraj dismissed Finch (25) with the first ball of the next over, but Venugopal Rao (31), Delhi's top run-getter this season, took his team within eight runs of victory before becoming the Pune captain's fourth victim.
James Hopes (13 not out) then took Daredevils across the finish line with a six and four from the first two balls of the final over.
* Compiled by Ahmed Rizvi with Agencies
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
