Delhi topple Bailey's Kings XI to end drought

Young Indian sensation Mayank Agarwal and Yuvraj Sing each struck half-centuries to finally end the Indian Premier League drought for Delhi Daredevils, a last-ball win against George Bailey's Kings XI Punjab their first victory in 12 attempts.

It was a night to forget for Kings XI Australian contingent, with Bailey and Glenn Maxwell only able to muster cameo appearances with the bat that left their team below par at 7-165 from their 20 overs.

Mitchell Johnson had a chastening experience, his four wicketless overs taken for 43 runs as Delhi chased down the target with five wickets and one ball to spare.

It was a better story for Delhi's Australian opening bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile who impressed with a economical three-over spell for just 14 runs, including an impressive 13 dot balls .

A century stand between 24-year-old Karnataka batsman Agarwal and Yuvraj – the most expensive signing in IPL history at A$3.2million – put Delhi in the box seat.

Bailey had earlier won the toss and almost taken a couple seconds to decide he wanted to bat first, prompting commentator Simon Doull to ask him if he wasn't sure of the call.

It was as a result of it being different-looking pitch from the one on which the previous game was played. The green grass from that encounter had largely disappeared and the sense was that it could end up playing two-paced.

Unlike the previous two games in which Coulter-Nile bowled the second over of the match, he was given the first use of it and started off with a ripper.

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Coulter-Nile bowled tight but without luck // BCCI

The ball swung both ways and for the first few deliveries, Coulter-Nile even bowled fuller than his usual short of good length. Murali Vijay groped at a couple moving away, was hit by one that came into him before Virender Sehwag was beaten outside the off by his extra bounce.

He conceded one from his first and had given away just one from the first five balls of the second before giving Sehwag the width he wanted. He slashed it through backward point to get himself a four and opened his account.

Sehwag had taken seven balls to get his first runs, struggled for timing throughout, and eventually fell for a 41-ball knock of 47.

The introduction of South Africa spinner Imran Tahir yielded 18 runs for Punjab as Sehwag and Wriddhimam Saha added 71 for the second wicket.

At 1-100 after 13 overs and with Maxwell, Bailey and David Miller to come, Kings XI were well placed but Delhi took a wicket in each of their next four overs to pull things back.

Saha failed to read Mishra’s seam-up delivery and was castled, while Sehwag followed up a six over mid-wicket off Duminy with another such attempt that took the leading edge to the covers.

Maxwell's five ball innings was entertaining; two shots launched for huge sixes but was out after slicing an attempt at a third, popping an easy catch for the cover fielder.

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Maxwell launches a six into the stands // BCCI

Miller was bowled by national teammate and Delhi skipper JP Duminy, a slog across the line missed, and Punjab had quickly fallen to 5-137 with three overs remaining.

Tahir, who had conceded 34 from his first two overs, bowled numbers 18 and 20, took three wickets and conceded just nine in a match-changing spell.

Duminy opted for spin instead of Coulter-Nile for the 19th over, and Bailey made him pay, taking 19 from Amit Mishra's over. Bailey made an 11-ball 19 before dismissed by Tahir in the final over.

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Tahir celebrates a wicket // BCCI

Yuvraj was the costliest buy in this season’s IPL auction this season but he had had a couple of ordinary innings in Delhi’s twin defeats first up. Needing to prove a point, he had the perfect opportunity, and a good amount of time to do that, having walked out at four.

He tucked one for a four through fine-leg off Johnson to get going and then pulled a short ball from Sandeep over mid-wicket to bring up his second boundary.

Johnson continued for his third and Yuvraj continued sending them to the fence, hitting the Aussie for two more boundaries in that over. He drove the first down the ground and then flicked the next through fine-leg to repeat the result.

Maxwell went for 10 in his only over, the 12th of the innings, and Johnson was left to rue a chance that went begging in his final over.

Agarwal, who was in aggressive frame of mind, sliced one from Johnson, offering a tough catch to Sandeep but he failed to latch on to it. He was on 42 at that time.

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Sandeep drops a chance in the deep off Johnson's bowling // BCCI 

A demoralised Johnson went on to be carted for 18 in that over, including two fours and a six off the blade of Agarwal, the floodgates had opened and the match had been turned on its head. At the same time, Agarwal reached his fifty with a six over fine-leg, using up just 37 deliveries to get them.

At the other end, Yuvraj slapped a couple of sixes next over and then brought up his half-century in the next with another maximum, his third in four deliveries, to see the Daredevils home.