An intelligent innings by Mitch Marsh has helped earn the Delhi Capitals back-to-back victories for the first time this season to maintain their chances of making the Indian Premier League playoffs.
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In posting his second successive half-century, Marsh made 63 off 48 balls with three sixes as Delhi compiled 7-159 off their 20 overs.
David Warner was out to the first ball of the match but played his part with a stunning catch as the Punjab Kings were restricted to 9-142, giving the Capitals victory by 17 runs.
A win in their final match will guarantee Delhi a playoff place while the Kings need an improbable set of results to continue in the tournament.
Marsh made easily the highest score in the match, starting brutally in the powerplay before pacing himself as wickets fell on a difficult pitch in Mumbai.
"My mindset was to get as many as I can in the powerplay before it starts turning," Marsh said.
"For the last 18 months, I've had that mentality in the powerplay.
"You can never judge a wicket until both teams bat on it. I walked off thinking we left a couple out there. But it turned and 160 wound up being enough."
Warner was due to start as non-striker but swapped with Safraz Khan when he saw Liam Livingstone was opening.
However, he drove loosely at the Englishman's first ball and was caught at backward point.
Marsh replaced him and soon changed the tone, driving his fifth and sixth balls, delivered by South African pacer Kagisho Rabada, for sixes.
The pair brought up the 50 in the fifth over but after Khan fell for 32 off 16 balls, runs were harder to come by.
Livingston (3-37) returned and had Rishad Pant stumped for seven - a ball after the spinner had been hit for six.
Marsh perished on the mid-wicket boundary after pulling a Rabada delivery.
The Kings began well with Jonny Bairstow making a 15-ball 28 but with Shardul Thakur taking 4-36 and the spinners bowling tightly, the rate began to climb.
A 34-ball 44 from Jitesh Sharma kept them in the game but, just as Delhi began to worry, Warner, running in from the boundary, took a brilliant catch diving forward to dismiss him off Thakur and end the Kings' challenge.
"In long tournaments like this, it's about peaking at the right time," Marsh said.
"I think over the last week or 10 days, we've played some really good cricket and that's a really good sign.
"We've got one more to go. We know if we win that, we'll be in the finals and we can give it a real good shake."
Australian Associated Press
