Sehwag sparks Delhi

Virender Sehwag goes on the attack as Delhi Daredevils romp to victory on a damp day in Cape Town

Virender Sehwag smashed a rapid unbeaten 38 to help Delhi Daredevils to a 10-wicket Duckworth-Lewis victory over Kings XI Punjab in a rain-affected Indian Premier League clash in Cape Town.

Daniel Vettori’s 3-15 helped restrict Punjab to 104 for seven, with Karan Goel (38) and Ravi Bopara (22) the main contributors in an innings reduced to 12 overs.

In response, Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag made a flying start by racing to 24 without loss off 11 deliveries, before rain intervened and saw the target trimmed to 54 from six overs.

The pair showed no mercy after the resumption as Delhi cruised home with seven deliveries to spare. Sehwag was the chief destroyer, striking three fours and three sixes off just 16 balls.

Earlier, the game was reduced to 12 overs a side on account of the sporadic drizzle around Newlands and, after winning the toss, Delhi captain Sehwag asked Punjab to bat first.

Goel and Bopara put on 67 in just six overs before the former fell to Yo Mahesh, caught at mid-off by Vettori.

Then came the newly-introduced strategy break, a seven-and-a-half-minute stoppage at the midway point of each innings, which turned the game on its head.

Bopara went immediately after the break - leg before to Vettori’s first delivery – before Kumar Sangakkara top-edged the same bowler to Dirk Nannes, running back from short fine-leg.

Yuvraj Singh, Piyush Chawla - both of whom were run out - and Mahela Jayawardene perished in quick succession, and the final over of the innings – bowled by Aavishkar Salvibowled - cost just six runs and yielded the wicket of Irfan Pathan.