We went into our sixth game of the season, the first game at home, with five changes - Prithvi Shaw, Liam Plunkett, Avesh Khan, Amit Mishra and Daniel Christian. Avesh Khan, Liam Plunkett and Prithvi Shaw made their debut for DD in the VIVO IPL. Interestingly, the game also marked Prithvi Shaw and Liam Plunkett’s first ever match in the VIVO IPL.

Though we lost the game by four runs, the performance of the debutants garnered praise from all corners. Here’s how the three debutants performed for DD.

Prithvi Shaw – Teenage Sensation

India U-19 captain, Prithvi Shaw created history against the Kings XI Punjab when he walked out to bat, even before he faced his first ball. He became the youngest batsman to open the innings in a VIVO IPL game. Shaw achieved this feat aged 18 years and 165 days, supplanting teammate Rishabh Pant at the top of the list. Pant had achieved this feat in 2016 aged 18 years and 212 days playing for DD against Gujarat Lions.

The teenage sensation scored a quickfire 22 runs off 10 balls and gave everyone a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing. He got us off to a decent start and showed no signs of nerves. Shaw took the attack to the opposition right from the word go. At a tender age of 18, not everyone can take the pressure of performing on the big stage. But then again, Prithvi Shaw is mature well beyond his years.

Avesh Khan’s Got Wheels

Avesh Khan belongs to the rare breed of Indian fast bowlers who can clock over 140 km/ph consistently.He couldn’t have asked for a better start h Khan’s first outing in the VIVO IPL came last year when he got an opportunity to play for RCB against DD. This was his only game of the 2017 season. Come 2018, Avesh Khan is seen donning the DD colours. His debut for DD turned out to be an impressive one. He hit the deck hard and picked up the wickets of stalwarts Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh. The ripper that got Finch out was bowled at 148.7 kmph! Avesh’s pace troubled the Punjab batsmen and he returned with figures of 2/36 in his four overs. It was a riveting start for the 21-year-old in this year’s VIVO IPL.

Record-Breaking Debut for Liam Plunkett

Liam Plunkett was unsold at the auction. But, an unfortunate injury to Kagiso Rabada before the start of the season turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Plunkett. He was roped in by DD as a replacement. He did not feature in the first five games for DD. When he got the opportunity, he made the most of it.

He picked up three wickets in three overs and wreaked havoc. He mixed it up well and put his pace and slower ones to great use. His three victims were KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. It was a dream debut for the Englishman as he returned with figures of 3/17 in his four overs, including 12 dot balls. These were the best figures recorded by a DD debutant. In his first VIVO IPL stint, Plunkett has marked his arrival with a thunderous performance.