Delhi Capitals (DC) showed faith in Sarfaraz Khan and was given the opportunity to open the innings alongside David Warner in the 64th match of the ongoing IPL 2022 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, May 16 at DY Patil Stadium, in Navi Mumbai.
Well, Sarfaraz managed to repay the faith shown by the team management, as he smashed 32 runs off 16 balls with the help of five boundaries and one maximum after Warner fell for a golden duck to play his part in DC posting 159 on the board against the PBKS.
Later, DC successfully defended the total and won the match by 17 runs to keep their hopes alive for the playoffs. DC has 14 points and has one match remaining against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 21.
Having made an impression after opening for the first time in the IPL, Sarfaraz has opened up about Ponting's advice before the match. The coach told him to "make the most of the opportunity."
Sarfaraz Khan told Shardul Thakur in a free-wheeling chat after the match: “Ricky Ponting told me that make this opportunity count. When we lost wicket (David Warner) on the first ball, in my mind I decided that I will continue to score runs at a brisk rate. Powerplays are very useful and can give the team the much-needed momentum, so I tried to score as many runs as possible.”
On hammering a six off the left-arm orthodox bowler, Harpreet Brar, the 24-year-old: “I have faced Hardpreet a lot during my time at the Punjab Kings. I knew what he is going to bowl.”
On being asked by Shardul about playing the scoop shot against Rishi Dhawan, Sarfaraz said: “I am confident of playing scoop shot. I can play other shots as well, but by playing scoop the opponents put a fine leg behind and keep mid-on and mid-off up. That’s the idea behind playing the scoop shot.”
Meanwhile, Thakur snared four wickets against PBKS but missed out on the opportunity to take his maiden fifer after Warner dropped a catch on Monday.
He said, “Whenever I play I try to create an impact. My performances are for the team. I just want to win games for my team. Personal milestones are important but now the points table is such that we need to improve our NRR. As long as I am getting those dots and not conceding boundaries, I am happy with it.”
(With Indian Express Inputs)
