What a match! These three words describe the match without much ado. But those who didn't watch it would love to know about the ups and downs which can be associated with all great matches of Cricket. Kings XI Punjab won the toss and rightly put Delhi Capitals to bat first. DC started as the favorites for bookies. However, DC openers were there to spoil the party of the punters. They lost quick wickets and were 13 for 3 at the end of the 4th over. Dhawan, Shaw and Hetmyer were at sea playing the swinging deliveries of Mohammed Shami. He got 2 of those wickets and even the 3rd one could have been Shami's but for the catch drop by the captain, KL Rahul. Rahul had his tail between his legs after the drop but Dhawan didn't disappoint him by getting run out. So KXIP got Dhawan instead of Shreyas Iyer in the process. Punjab must have been happy to get Dhawan but this joy was short lived as Shreyas Iyear and Rishabh Pant slowly built the inning before Shreyas fell to Shami when the score was 86/4 after 14 overs. The odds were in favour of KXIP inspite of recuperation by Iyer and Pant since the run rate was simply pathetic.

Iyer's exit saw Stoinis joining Pant in the crease. However, now it was Pant's turn to follow suit by getting bowled out to Ravi Bishnoi while trying to up the ante. Now it was Stoinis' to salvage DC's inning. Even he couldn't do much and teh score was 113 for 6 after the end of 18 overs. Punters were happy as everyone favoured Punjab, bookies included. In came Sheldon Cottrell to bowl the 19th over. He gave 14 runs including one wide though he took Ashwin's wicket on the last ball. So the score was 127 after the end of the penultimate over. Kings XI Punjab was very happy with the developments before Stoinis soiled their party by hitting 30 runs in the last over of Chris Jordan. The last over yielede 6 Wide 4 4 4 6 before Stoinis got run out trying to take two runs on the last ball. While checking Run Out, the 3rd umpire declared the ball as No Ball. What an agony! The last Ball fetched 3 runs. 30 runs in an over?

Now DC was certainly the favourite but was ahead just by a whisker. They had 157 on the board; and runs on board always help even though the total was not formidable. Now Punjab's bat was to do the talking but that wasn't the case. Even though they started well by scoring 30 after 4.2 overs and thus becoming the favourites again but this short lived as Punjab lost 4 wickets in a span of 13 balls and 5 runs. They were left tottering at 35 runs after 6.3 overs. Obviously, Delhi was in the driving seat.Nicholas Pooran was out on duck and Karun Nair and Glen Maxwell could score only 1 run each.

Wickets were falling at the other end and Mayank Agarwal was keeping the hopes of Punjab alive at the other end. Sarfaraz stay was short and he could only 12 runs in 12 balls. Krishanappa Gowtham kept company with Mayank till 15.3 overs. They had scored 101 runs in the process and needed 57 runs in 27 balls. A difficult ask? No. Mayank was not in the mood to give up. He started slogging but very wisely. He played a chanceless innings. Punjab scored 17 runs in the 18th over which included two big boundaries. Now they required 25 runs in the last 2 overs. 19th over by Rababda yielded 12 runs and only 13 runs were required off the last over of Stonis. Mayank scored 6,2 and 4 in the first 3 balls. Thus they required just 1 run in the last 3 balls. Gloom in DC's dugout and elation in KXIP's dugout. Stoinis had other plans. The next ball was a dot ball. At 89 runs, Mayank wanted to become the hero by hitting a boundary on a short ball but ended throwing his wicket at the boundary to a catch by Hetmyer. One ball to go and one run to win. Still easy peasy. Jordan hit the ball hard straight to square leg where Kagiso Rababda where he held it with magix reflexes to force a super over.

Now the joy and momentum shifted ends at the dugout. Kings XI Punajb sent KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran to force the issue. KL Rahul got out on the 2nd ball after 1st ball 2, trying to hit a boundary to a short ball by Kagiso Rabada. Pooran changed ends but got bowled on the 3rd ball of the Super Over. Innings over and DC required just 3 runs which they got easily at the end.

Now this Super Over was all due to a contentious short run call at 18.3 overs. It was a perfect yorker by Rababda to Mayank and he jams it down to long-on. Jordan quickly back for the second. Mayank on the fringes of his fitness right now, huffing and puffing. And this call of a short run by the umpire probably cost Kings XI Punjab, the match.

Marcus Stoinis deservingly won the Man of the Match award which could easily have been Mayank Agarwals' but for his judgemental error to forego 1 and hit a boundary. It was a bookies match all the way but God indulged and made it a perfect Cricket T20 match. Punters must have heaved a sigh of relief as all bets cancelled in case of a tie!