SRH vs DC, Eliminator at Visakhapatnam, IPL, May 08 2019 - Ball by Ball Commentary

Right, that's that for this Eliminator. It's Chennai Super Kings against Delhi Capitals in a couple of nights' time to find out who gets to meet Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad in Sunday's final. To remind you too, that there's a match between Harmanpreet Kaur's Supernovas and Mithali Raj-led Velocity in the Women's T20 Challenge in Jaipur tomorrow, which is a must-win for the former. Join us on ESPNcricinfo for all of that action. For the moment, this is Debayan Sen signing off on behalf of Saurabh Somani and Chandan Duorah. If sport is your drug, and you still want some of your fix, I can direct you to the live coverage of the Champions League second leg between Ajax and Spurs from Amsterdam. Good night and see you around

Rishabh Pant, Player of the match,: "If you are set on a wicket like this, you have to finish the match for your team. I took it very close, but next time I will finish it for the team. (Pressure) I just try to be positive. If your mindset is negative, it doesn't help. Especially in T20s, you need 40 off 20 or so, then you have to attack one bowler. I don't see who's bowling. It's in our muscle memory, and that's why we practise so much. Today, that was special because I didn't try to hit the ball too hard. I was just watching the ball, and I was trying to time the ball."

Shreyas Iyer speaks to Sanjay Manjrekar at the presentation: "(Last over) I can't express my emotions. I was sitting and those last two overs were like a hell [laughs]. An amazing feeling (to win) and I could see the happiness in everyone's faces. The joy we share after winning was good. Looking forward to the next game. (Bowling) The start they got, it was really good for this track. The way Martin Guptill played, and they carried on with that momentum, they got to a par score. Mishibhai (Mishra) bowled an amazing spell, and everybody else also chipped in. I think 160 was a good score to defend. (Shaw and Pant) I personally feel they are the sort of batsmen that you can't control and let them play on their own. If you try to stop players like Rishabh and Prithvi, it may not work. If they go on with the flow, they can win you games."

Prasanna Chakra: "That was a Pantastic Shaw from Capitals!! " --- I think this could make a few newspaper headlines tomorrow morning

Abhijato: "@Mr Sen -- never for one moment was I sure about DC winning, for the simple reason that they have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory too many times this season. But the predictions of the Crystal Ball work in mysterious ways, and all I can do is try to interpret its misty messages as well as possible :) P.S. It's been a stunning tournament so far, and the Eliminator with its controversies, thrills and analytical minefield was a perfect manifestation of all of that! Cheers :))" --- Give us an early prediction about the Qualifier 2, will you?

Samrat Ahuja: "Read stats before game : Khaleel in this season has bowled 2 deliveries to Pant, and guess what, GOT HIM OUT TWICE!! Makes Williamson's decision even more baffling!!"

Mrinmoy Datta: "Would not the last boundary be counted as a misfield at the boundary? Not a single word about it. What would be the reaction if it was a world cup final?" --- Yes, it was a bad bit of work from Shankar. But to be fair, he had to try and attack the ball because they would have taken the second anyway. In a normal course of action, he would have got around to it and conceded the two runs

Jay: "I am on transit with my boss in his car from north Germany. Started following the game from Bremen, continued it through Dortmund and ended it now at Köln. Cricinfo don't know what I would do without you!! Thank you."

Priyankar Ray C: "2 am here in Singapore, no live streaming, and I am reading and re-reading every ball of this thriller. You folks are rockstars!"

Satish: "Thampi has bowled 3 overs for 20 compared to Khaleels 2 overs for 18. Not sure why you call it a bad call from Williamson. It just didn't get the desired result" --- I think the common theory is that Khaleel has been a wicket-taking option. Sunrisers may have taken the more defensive option by handing the ball to the more economical but less threatening seamer

Ashikur: "40 off 20. Then, 6 0 4 6 4 6. Wrong bowler chosen. Never had 5th bowler. Secured qualifier depending of others' failure rather own's strength. SRH, you, DESERVED to LOSE. (Sad)"

JP: "One of the biggest mysteries of this season...why wasn't Khaleel given the 18th over." --- Do teams sometimes get obsessed with this theory of right-arm bowler to left-handed batsmen? Maybe that was something playing on Williamson's mind?

Prithvi Shaw: "I was a bit nervous, but Ponting sir and Sourav sir believed in me, and I just went out there and played my natural game. I think Rishabh Pant just batted beautifully. (About Chennai Super Kings) We will have fun tonight, and then we plan from there. It's a big game, and we are going to prepare hard."

Kane Williamson: "After the first half, we knew we would have to fight hard to defend this competitive total. After thier Powerplay, it was always going to be tricky. We've been in a similar position of strength in the past this season, and it was frustrating to not win. It is frustrating, because we were in that position of strength that we couldn't convert. It looked like a winning total, but they started off really well in the Powerplay. We were able to squeeze them and bring it back, but these sort of wickets, you have to be clinical. We probably missed that a few times. It's been a number of strong performances from us, but today we thought we did well enough to get a winning total, but it was not to be. The depth that we have, without them (Bairstow and Warner), we have put up some strong performances. We perhaps haven't had the wins that we wanted. If you look at how many times we were on the right side of close matches last year, and we were on the wrong side this year. Small margins, and we couldn't get across the line."

11.25pm It's a first win in an IPL playoff match in five attempts for Delhi Capitals. And it was set up by the knocks from Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. Keemo Paul gets the winning runs, and earlier did his bit with some good bowling to pull Sunrisers back when they looked set to get to about 170.

Sunrisers Hyderabad fought gamely, and in particular Rashid Khan'd double-wicket maiden that brought them back into this contest. Excellent bowling from Khaleel Ahmed too, and how did Kane Williamson hold him back?

We are one away from a Super Over, by the way. Mid-pitch conference between Paul and Boult. Wonder what they could be saying. Something on the lines of "just run, whatever happens"? What about a run-out for backing up too far, maybe?

Varun says the crowd is chanting "OUT! OUT! OUT!"

Loads of tension at the ground. The Delhi dugout can barely stand to watch...

dipankar: "Still possible for SRH. They got a review left. Bowl dots and If it goes for boundary they need to call for a review-that's a dead ball. Game on. Crazy rules."

Nag: "A super over can't be ruled out however both these teams lost in this years ipl previously, so would they look forward to that?" --- Delhi did win against Kolkata Knight Riders

Aaqib: "Oh dear....this is why Delhi should have played Chris Morris today instead of Boult. His batting right now would have been so handy"

Khaleel at last!

Five off six. Most days you would back the batting side, but Delhi Capitals have a habit of botching things up at the death. Varun says Bhuvi is staying on for the last over

Abhijato: "Mr Sen, I sent in a comment you might have missed around the start of your latest tenure in the 14th over, stating that my Crystal Ball wore a bandana which predicted DC would win! A shout-out would mean a lot to the misty sphere and his tailor :))" --- Are you still sure about that prediction?

Hyderabadi : "SRH Mgmt get good committed foreign players like warner bairstow rashi nabi kane guptill. Tell them its a 4 sided game pay them hefty they will win matches. You need not pay remaining desi players you can take from new kids. They will not charge you as they r happy for ghe opportunity "

Bayola: "I thought Pant lost the intent to win as he will be given the humongous task of babysitting Ziva, Gracia, Hinaya, and the Son of Watson and Son of Tahir. But his batting and babysitting abilities seem to rise for the occasion."

Keemo Paul is the new man in

Varun Shetty from the ground, cheekily adds: "5 for 8 coming"

PP: "Nobody will explain ths logic! Khaleel has got 2 overs left, but still went for Basil. Strange strange decision by Williamson " --- Maybe he remembers that Delhi lost 7 for 8 agaisnt Kings XI Punjab earlier in the season? But yes, this may have come too late in the day for them

Akhilesha : "Did Wiliamson forget that Khaleel has two overs??? Both Williamson and Thampi have opened the meme door for themselves here...unfortunately. "

Sid Monga with this observation: "15 sixes over the leg side for Pant this IPL, and not one through the off side"

Selvamani Jagan: "Applause @Joe Hackett. what else do you predict? Lightning?"

21 off this over already. Is that the end of the season for Sunrisers Hyderabad?

Srinath: "What is the point of holding back an over of Khaleel and bowling out Thampi? SRH missed a trick here...."

As strategies go, this is strange from Williamson. Thampi, around the wicket, and feeding Pant on his strength

Mohammed : "UTTER NONSENSE!!! NOT BOWLING OUT KHALEEL!!!!! "

Tariq salari : "Welldone Rashid time for khalil" --- Strange why Williamson went first with Thampi

Sunrisers Hyderabad were at 127 for 4 at this stage. Got some late runs, though

vishu: "time for Rutherford to repeat his spectacular performance from CPL *fingers crossed*"