New Delhi: Not only Arsdeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer And Punjab Kings players knew the importance of getting KL Rahul out early, but the head coach Ricky Ponting The IPL 2026 clash in Dharamshala also looked upbeat after the milestone.After Punjab Kings posted a massive 210/5 in 20 overs, Arsdeep Singh struck early by dismissing KL Rahul cheaply for just nine runs. The celebration by the fast bowler and his teammates reflected how important the wicket was in the context of the match.
When the camera panned to the Punjab Kings dugout, Ponting’s reaction was caught on camera as the former Australia captain laughed while celebrating Rahul’s dismissal.Arshadeep bowls a length delivery on middle and leg, Rahul tries to whip it. However, the batsman managed just one crucial lead, sending the ball high into the air. Marco Johnson rushed forward, slipped under it and completed a brilliant catch.Earlier, Priyansh Arya hit six towering sixes during his blistering 33-ball innings before the Delhi Capitals pacers adjusted their length to restrict Punjab Kings to 210/5.Delhi Capitals, fighting for survival in the tournament, opted to field first after making five changes to their playing XI for the first game of the season at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.The altitude in Dharamsala once again helped create strokes, and the effect was immediate against Mitchell Starc, who endured a costly outing. Priyansh tore through the veteran left-arm pacer in an over that leaked 22 runs, including sixes either side of the wicket.The left-hander not only smashed Starc for a six off the first ball of the innings, but also fearlessly attacked Langi Ngidi and Mukesh Kumar.However, Delhi Capitals fought back smartly. Aqib Nabi used the tight length effectively to trouble Priyansh during the latter half of the power play.Prabhasmaran Singh could only score 18 runs off 15 balls and was caught at fine leg by Mukesh Kumar.Young player Madhav Tiwary then picked up his first IPL wicket in the ninth over by dismissing Priyansh at deep point.Punjab Kings made a run early but reached only 107/2 at the halfway mark. Later, captain Shreyas Iyer opened the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls, while Cooper Connolly made 38 for 27 in an 83-run partnership for the third wicket.In the 19th over, Starc dismissed Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh in consecutive deliveries before Suresh Shidge hit two brilliant sixes off the Australian fast ball.Ngidi then bowled an excellent final over to prevent Punjab Kings from going past 210.
