IPL 2019: Five talking points from the fifth week of the tournament
We are well and truly into the business end of the 2019 Indian Premier League. The last week of the Indian Premier League had a lot of heart-in-the-mouth moments.
There were heartbreaks, close-finishes, intense moments, youthful exuberance and off-course some pulsating hitting from the best in the business.
Missed any action? Don't worry. This article covers everything that happened during the fifth week of the 2019 season.
CSK and DC have already qualified for the playoffs, Mumbai requires a solitary win to confirm their spot while the jostle is well and truly on between KXIP, SRH, RR and Kolkata Knight Riders' for the coveted fourth spot.
Here are the five talking points from the 5th week of the IPL.
#5 Rishabh Pant's assault and DC's consistency leads them to the IPL playoffs after six years
Being a Delhi fan has not been easy for those who have been supporting the franchise since the inception of the IPL. Insipid team selections, hara-kiri at the auctions and lack of consistency has paved the way for Delhi in the past few years and their performances have reflected that on the ground.
Last year though, Delhi made an investment into the future. They built their core around the future Indian players in Prithwi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant, and with the likes of established players like Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada putting up consistent performances, this season has come along really well for the Capitals.
Coming into this week, Delhi needed a strong performance to seal their spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2012, and they did that with aplomb by registering comfortable victories over Rajasthan Royals by 6 wickets and Kohli's RCB by 16 runs.
India Test wicket-keeper, Pant was at the heart of the Capitals' victory against the Rajasthan Royals. The swashbuckling left-hander swatted, scooped, pulled and reverse-swept his way to an astonishing 36-ball 76; an innings which included fours sixes and eight boundaries, to help his side chase down 191.
While it was Pant's whirlwind knock that sealed it for DC against the Rajasthan Royals, the victory to confirm the playoffs spot came via a thorough-round performance. Shikhar Dhawan crossed the 400-run mark for the season, his fourth in a row since 2016, during his knock of 50 (37) while Shreyas Iyer played yet another solid knock of 57 before debutant Sherfane Rutherford's 13-ball 28, provided a late impetus to the innings.
Kagiso Rabada (2-31) and Amit Mishra (2-21) led the way with the ball to restrict the Royal Challengers to 7-171 and officially claimed their way to the playoffs - for the first time since 2012.