Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium, also known as the Feroz Shah Kotla or previously called the Willingdon Pavilion, is known for its unique pitch behaviour. Although it is run by the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), the venue is considered a batting-friendly venue with short boundaries. Despite this, it has also produced surprisingly low-scoring thrillers.
Known to be the home ground of Delhi Capitals (DC), the venue has hosted numerous IPL matches where disciplined bowling and smart strategic moves have helped teams defend modest totals as it often slows down, thus assisting spinners. The instance that stands out among the lowest scores defended is one where the Delhi Daredevils (DD) defended 114/6 against Cape Cobras in 2009.
DD prevails in a low-scoring thriller
Speaking of the match, which was part of Champions League Twenty20, Cape Cobras invited DD to put the score first on the board. On the back of Owais Shah’s unbeaten 39 off 38 deliveries and Dinesh Karthik’s 23, the Daredevils posted 114 at the loss of six wickets in their stipulated 20 overs. While the Feroz Shah Kotla continued to see spate of low scores, Cape Cobras failed to chase the low total as they were bundled out at the score of 84 in 18.3 overs. Disciplined bowling from Dirk Nannes (3/19), Tillakaratne Dilshan (2/16), Amit Mishra (2/19) and Yogesh Nagar (2/9) helped DD register a comprehensive win by 30 runs.
Lowest total defended at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in IPL
| Team | Score | Target | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings XI Punjab | 143/8 | 144 | Delhi Daredevils | April 23, 2018 |
| Deccan Chargers | 145/7 | 146 | Delhi Daredevils | April 18, 2010 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 148/7 | 149 | Delhi Daredevils | April 28, 2011 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 152/6 | 153 | Rajasthan Royals | April 29, 2012 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 161/10 | 162 | Delhi Daredevils | May 14, 2017 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 162/8 | 163 | Kolkata Knight Riders | May 25, 2016 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 162/6 | 163 | Chennai Super Kings | May 18, 2018 |
| Delhi Daredevils | 164/4 | 165 | Mumbai Indians | April 23, 2016 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 165/7 | 166 | Delhi Daredevils | April 6, 2013 |
| Punjab Kings | 167/7 | 168 | Delhi Capitals | May 13, 2023 |
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