Sandeep Warrier emerged as an unlikely hero on Wednesday as Gujarat Titans looked to stifle Delhi Capitals in match 40 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. Check telecast and live streaming details for the DC Vs GT cricket match HERE. (Streaming | Match Blog | Full Coverage)
Warrier, a domestic veteran, started for the third time this season. A brace in his first outing, in the reverse fixture of this tie managed to convince the Titans think-tink to stick with the 33-year-old Kerala pacer.
And tonight, the right-arm pacer was as good as any other bowler in the business. With Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill opting to bowl first on a relatively cool Delhi evening, Sandeep Warrier exploited the conditions to the hilt.
Sharing the new ball with Afghani Azmatullah Omarzai, the uncapped Indian bowler rocked the Delhi top order. In a space of nine deliveries, he removed -- those of Prithvi Shaw (11 off 7), Jake Fraser-McGurk (23 off 14) and Shai Hope (5 off 6) -- all inside the powerplay (first six overs).
Warrier thus joined peerless Mohammed Shami as the only Gujarat Titans bowlers to take three wickets inside the powerplay.
Shami, who is out due to injury, did it three times for the Titans -- 4/7 against DC at Ahmedabad (2023), 3/10 against Lucknow Super Giants at Mumbai-Wankhede Stadium (2022) and 3/17 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Ahmedabad (2023).
Warrier also became the second bowler this season to take three wickets inside the power play after Trent Boult. The New Zealand star claimed three for 14 for the Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede.
