Watch: Ponting shocked, Hardik gives cheeky smile as Shami inflicts DC collapse | Cricket

The horror season for Delhi Capitals doesn’t seem to end. Albeit seriously, even commentator Murali Kartik said, “when nothing is working, they might as well go home.” And why not. On Tuesday, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans, Delhi incurred yet another horrible batting collapse orchestrated by one man, Mohammed Shami, who single-handedly cleaned up the entire top order line-up picking four wickets in his first three overs where Priyam Garg was the batter to have managed a double-digit score (10) among the top five batters. Such were the scenes in Ahmedabad where head coach Ricky Ponting was left utterly shell-shocked while Hardik Pandya gave a cheeky smile when the fifth wicket had fallen. (GT vs DC Live Score, IPL 2023)

The collapse began right from ball one, after Delhi, in a rather puzzling decision, opted to bat first at the venue. Shami, given the responsibility with the new ball, dismissed Phil Salt for a golden duck with a gentle full outswinger outside off. An over later, Delhi were left bitterly unfortunate when David Warner found himself as the victim of a horrible mix-up with Garg which left him fuming at his teammate.

Shami’s onslaught continued in his next over when he dismissed Rossouw with an absolute stunner which even left batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, in the commentary box, amazed. It was a typical Test match outside edge scenario and Wriddhiman Saha made no error. On returning for his third over, he dismissed Manish Pandey with a similar with Saha, this time, completing a one-handed stunner. It was length ball and wobbled as Pandey poked at it generating a thick outside edge. Saha timed his leap to perfection and grabbed it with one hand, leaving Gavaskar to exclaim, “That is absolutely stunning because it fell right in the middle of the gloves”.

Shami eventually picked up his fourth with Saha completing the dismissal yet again, this time of Garg. Outside off, swung a little and took the edge. As Delhi incurred a batting collapse with the team going five down for 23 runs in five overs, Ponting was left shell shocked while Hardik couldn’t stop smiling.

28 for five has been the lowest powerplay score for a team this season of IPL while Shami’s 4 for 7 has been the best ever bowling returns in the Powerplay in IPL.