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Ricky Ponting and Kuldeep Yadav. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The 64th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 featured a clash between the David Warner-led Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Wednesday, May 17.

Delhi Capitals registered a consolation 15-run victory over Punjab Kings. However, despite notching up 213 runs on the board, the win did not come easy for the David Warner-led side because of a subpar showing from the fielders during the run chase.

The woes began on the last ball of the eighth over, when Liam Livingstone lifted the ball up to deep mid-wicket for Anrich Nortje. In what was supposed to be a simple catch, it was dropped by the pacer, which made Kuldeep Yadav let out a scream in frustration.

Furthermore, the second incident came in the 10th over of the game when Atharva Taide handed a simple catch to Yash Dhull at long-on. However, that opportunity was left begging as Dhull dropped the catch. This did not get a reaction out of Kuldeep Yadav, who was bowling. However, head coach Ricky Ponting could not help but express his disappointment by burying his face in his hands.

The curse of poor fielding, however, was finally broken when Khaleel Ahmed took the catch of Jitesh Sharma in the 16th over and pointed at the dugout, which caused the staff, players, and even Ponting to burst out in laughter.

Liam Livingstone’s knock in vain as DC played spoilsport

Chasing a mammoth target of 214 runs, only English all-rounder Liam Livingstone, alongside Taide, managed to have an impact on the game. After Taide was retired out for 55 runs in 42 balls, Livingstone did his best to propel his side to a win. However, his knock of 94 runs in 48 deliveries proved to be in vain as Delhi won the game by 15 runs.

After their consolation win, things got even more complicated for Punjab in their quest for playoff qualification. The team currently find themselves in eighth place in the IPL points table with 12 points in 13 games. They take on the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals next, who are level with them on points. Depending on the results of other teams, both sides would look to register a big win when they take each other on