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Three dropped catches haunt Chargers as Pietersen blasted them to a crushing defeat
On this day, April 19, 2012, the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi witnessed a one-man show by Kevin Pietersen. The swashbuckling Englishman, with a hundred yearnings to be scored, arrived at the crease earlier than anticipated after the dismissal of the Daredevils' openers. What followed was a brutal exhibition of power hitting that left the Deccan Chargers shell-shocked and the packed Delhi crowd roaring with delight.
The Chargers' batting earlier in the day had been built around a solid partnership between Shikhar Dhawan (43 runs) and Parthiv Patel (45 runs). However, once this duo departed, the rest of the batting lineup failed to capitalize. Young Shahbaz Nadeem, the left-arm spinner for the Daredevils, impressed with his wicket-taking abilities, derailing the Chargers' innings with his crucial three wickets. Despite some late resistance from Bharat Chipli (29 runs), the Chargers' total of 157 was simply not enough against a rampaging Pietersen.
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KP on his way to his century
Decan started brightly with the ball, dismissing the dangerous openers—Naman Ojha and Virender Sehwag—cheaply. This brought Kevin Pietersen to the crease earlier than anticipated. Fortune, however, seemed to be smiling on the Chargers when Dale Steyn, the South African pace wizard, beat Pietersen with an inswinging delivery.
But a dropped catch at short midwicket by Bharat Chipli offered Pietersen a lifeline. This lapse in concentration would prove costly, as Pietersen seized the initiative, dispatching Steyn to the boundary with a disdainful flick.
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Pietersen on the charge
The next over saw another reprieve for Pietersen. This time it was Mahela Jayawardene who was the unfortunate fielder, failing to cling on to a sharp catch at second slip. The Chargers, sensing a missed opportunity, managed to dismiss Mahela Jayawardene in the very next over.
However, Pietersen continued to be a thorn in their side, finding boundaries with ease and punishing any loose deliveries. Chipli, perhaps feeling the pressure, misfielded again, allowing Pietersen to collect another easy boundary.
The Chargers captain, Kumar Sangakkara, opted to introduce spin in an attempt to restrict Pietersen's flow. However, this tactic backfired spectacularly. Pietersen feasted on the likes of JP Duminy, Amit Mishra, and Ankit Sharma, dispatching them to all corners of the earth.
His first six came off Mishra's bowling, a brutal assault over the bowler's head. This set the tone for his dominance, as he plundered 14 runs from it.
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Kevin Pietersen's ton guides Delhi Daredevils to win over Deccan Chargers by five wickets
With the dismissal of Ross Taylor, the Daredevils found themselves in a spot of bother at 83 for 4. However, this was the cue for Pietersen to unleash his full fury. Duminy's forgettable over, which included two full tosses deposited over the leg side for sixes and a third dispatched over the sightscreen, proved to be the turning point. The required run rate plummeted, and with it, the Chargers' hopes.
Pietersen continued his onslaught, punishing every bowler who dared to stray. He launched Dale Steyn, the premier fast bowler in the world at the time, over long-off for another maximum, reaching his fifty in just 28 balls—the fastest in the IPL season so far. His dominance ensured victory for the Daredevils, and he reached his well-deserved century in style, dispatching a delivery from Ankit Sharma over his head for a six, finishing on a magnificent 103 (64 balls, 4 fours, 9 sixes).
