Kings XI Punjab scored a comfortable seven-wicket win against Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match on a difficult Ferozeshah Kotla wicket on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target (112), the visitors raced home with eight balls to spare and losing just three wickets en route.
The team from Punjab, still rooted at the bottom of the table, redeemed themselves considerably and continued playing spoilsport to the aspirations of the teams atop it.
It was Punjab's second straight win - after their shock win over Mumbai Indians - and third in four matches, and pushed their points total up to eight in 12 matches.
The win also bolstered Punjab's overall record against Delhi to four wins in six matches while also exacting some revenge for their five-wicket loss to the team from the capital in their earlier clash this season.
It was Delhi's second successive defeat - following their inexplicable loss against Kolkata Knight Riders - coming on the heels of four straight wins and their abject performance with the bat ensured their think tank had certain issues to address ahead of their next game.
The two-time semi-finalists will drop to fourth in the table should Rajasthan Royals beat toppers' Mumbai Indians later in the day.
The match was characterised by the abject surrender by the Delhi batsmen, in the face of some incisive bowling and tight fielding from the visitors, and a calculated effort by their Punjab counterparts.
The Punjab chase was slow but steady, and considering the nature of the wicket, it was the right way to do it.
Punjab promoted Irfan Pathan (12) to open the innings along with Mahela Jayawardene (38).
The left-hander danced down the wicket and smashed Ashish Nehra between midwicket and mid-on for the first boundary of the innings.
But the difficult wicket ensured they failed to break free, instead being a tad tentative in their attempts at shot making.
There were a few good ones though, like Jayawardene hitting Ferveez Maharoof to the boundary and following it up with a massive six over long-on - the first maximum of the match.
The Sri Lankan continued to live dangerously and it worked to his advantage in the early overs.
As the field restrictions eased, the visitors were comfortably placed at 39 without loss.
But Delhi did manage a breakthrough in the seventh over, Mishra having Irfan caught by Bhatia at deep midwicket boundary.
Kumar Sangakkara (33) eased the pressure by hitting Daniel Vettori to the fence.
But the scoring rate, as had been the case in the Delhi innings, dropped considerably.
Jayawardene perished in trying to go against the tide, hitting straight to Nehra at short fine leg off Paul Collingwood.
The Sri Lanka's 35-ball knock was inclusive of four hits to the fence and one over it.
Yuvraj Singh (21 not out) eased pressure with a boundary and a maximum in a Rajat Bhatia over.
And 13 runs came in the 17th over, bowled by Vettori, and that more or less settled the issue.
Collingwood castled Sangakkara in the 18th over but it was too little, too late.
Earlier, a superb performance by their bowlers helped Kings XI Punjab bowl out Delhi Daredevils for a paltry total.
The home team, struggling for most parts of their innings, eventually managed just 111 and failed to bat out their stipulated 20 overs.
It was the lowest IPL total at the venue, and also the home side's lowest ever total against Punjab.
Punjab's dominance over Delhi can be judged from the fact that there were no sixes in the home side's innings, and just nine boundaries.
On a wicket that seemed conducive for slow bowling, Punjab utilised both their spinning options inside the first six overs.
And the ploy worked to their advantage as the Delhi batsmen struggled to break free.
Irfan Pathan was Punjab's most successful bowler, with figures of three for 24.
He was ably supported by Piyush Chwala (two for 16) and Yuvraj Singh (one for 14).
So effective were the spinners, including part-timer Yuvraj, that Kumar Sangakkara introduced Juan 'Rusty' Theron, playing in place of Brett Lee, into the attack only in the 17th over when Delhi was already eight down.
Punjab's brilliance with the ball was matched by an equally superlative efforts by their fielders who displayed tremendous commitment.
The only worry for the visitors being the number of extras - 18 to be precise - which helped the Delhi cause to a certain extent.
David Warner (6) started the proceedings by smashing Romesh Powar's first ball past point and to the fence.
However, Punjab struck the first blow in the first ball of the second over, Virender Sehwag (0) hitting an Irfan Pathan delivery straight to Sodhi at midwicket.
It was Sehwag's second golden duck in the tournament.
Gautam Gambhir (26) eased the preesure with three boundaries of four balls - the last of those boundaries helping him become the sixth batsman to have scored 1000 runs or more in the tournament.
Gambhir continued his aggression, hitting Love Ablish for successive boundaries, before being run out - the third successive time he had been run out, and the fifth occasion in the tournament.
The captain's 12-ball knock was inclusive of five hits to the fence.
Two ball later, Warner was run out to increase Delhi's woes.
Paul Collingwood (4) was deceived by Piyush Chawla googly and the umpire had no hesitation in lifting his fingers up.
The home team was tottering in the first strategic time out - taken after the ninth over - at 58 for four.
And soon after resumption, Chawla cleaned up Daniel Vettori (2) with yet another googly.
The next four overs witnessed the nett run rate fall below six, with just 13 runs being added. And in an attempt to break the shackles, Dinesh Karthik (17) smashed an Irfan delivery to long-on only to find Mahela Jaywardene waiting with eager anticipation.
Rajat Bhatia (1) was accounted for by Yuvraj - caught by Sodhi - in the next over and Ferveez Maharoof (0) followed him back to the pavilion, cleaned up by an Ablish off cutter.
When Mithun Manhas (26) hit Chawla for a boundary in the first ball of the 18th over to raise the team's 100, it also marked the first boundary of the Delhi innings in eight overs - after Karthik had hit one in the first ball of the 10th over.
It was without doubt the slowest 100 in this edition for the Daredevils.
But if there was any hopes of further onslaught in the last couple of overs it was soon dioused when Theron rattled Manhas' exposed leg stumps.
And when Irfan had Ashish Nehra (1) caught by Chawla it was all over for Delhi with two balls left.
Earlier, Delhi Daredevils' skipper Gautam Gambhir called correctly and opted to bat first. It didn't seem a wise decision after the first innings though.
Teams:
Delhi Daredevils: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Virender Sehwag, David Warner, P Collingwood, Dinesh Karthik, Mithun Manhas, Farveez Maharoof, Amit Mishra, Daniel Vettori, Rajat Bhatia, Ashish Nehra.
Kings XI Punjab: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Adrian Barath, Mahela Jayawardene, Yuvraj Singh, Karan Goel, Irfan Pathan, R Sodhi, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Love Ablish, Juan Theron.
