Delhi Capitals (DC) delivered a stellar performance on Saturday night, clinching a 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-octane match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This win has injected new excitement into the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Points Table, as DC now shares 12 points with three other competing teams.
Rajasthan Royals, favored by luck at the toss, opted to bowl first on a pitch renowned for producing high scores. Their decision was immediately tested by the aggressive start from DC’s opening pair. Jake Fraser-McGurk was in smashing form, rapidly racing to a 19-ball half-century. Remarkably, this was his slowest fifty of the season, underlining the devastating impact he has had throughout the tournament. The fourth over, bowled by Avesh Khan, epitomized the explosive start, with Fraser-McGurk hitting four fours and two sixes, reaching his fifty and putting immense pressure on the RR bowlers.
However, the celebration was cut short when R Ashwin dismissed Fraser-McGurk, who sent a catch straight to cover where Donovan Ferreira made no mistake. Abishek Porel, who had begun conservatively, shifted gears following Fraser-McGurk’s exit. Despite losing Shai Hope to a run-out, Porel remained undeterred, continuing his aggressive stance. Axar Patel provided steady support until he was caught at long-on off Ashwin’s bowling in the 10th over. By the halfway mark, DC stood strong at 115 for three, set for a commanding total.
Porel marked his maiden fifty of the TATA IPL 2024 in style, smashing Avesh for a six in the 11th over. The young batsman reached this milestone in just 28 balls. The momentum, however, saw a slight shift as DC lost quick wickets. Porel was eventually caught off Sandeep Sharma for a well-compiled 65, and Rishabh Pant fell to Yuzvendra Chahal, who celebrated his 350th wicket in T20 cricket. With the middle order wobbling, Gulbadin Naib and Tristan Stubbs focused on consolidating the innings.
The final overs witnessed an exhilarating finish, largely driven by Stubbs’ aggressive batting. He smashed a 20-ball 41, peppered with three fours and three towering sixes, two of which came in a dramatic last over bowled by Sandeep. Chahal, who had an otherwise impressive season, was expensive in the 18th over, leaking 21 runs. Rasikh Salam, introduced as an Impact Player, chipped in with crucial boundaries, propelling DC to a formidable total of 221 for eight. Given the recent trends, RR backed themselves to chase down the target.
In pursuit of the daunting target, RR needed one of their batting stalwarts to step up.
. The responsibility fell on captain Sanju Samson, who played a magnificent innings. Yashaswi Jaiswal began the innings with a flourish, hitting the first ball for four, but was dismissed on the next delivery by Khaleel Ahmed. Jos Buttler, brought in as an Impact Player, took time to settle in. Samson, meanwhile, took charge, launching an assault on DC’s bowlers. He slammed a colossal six off Khaleel in the third over, marking his 200th six in his IPL career, followed by a flurry of boundaries off Ishant Sharma.
RR’s chase faced a hiccup when Buttler was caught off Axar Patel after an inside-edge in the sixth over. With boundaries hard to come by, Riyan Parag struggled to accelerate the innings. At the halfway stage, RR were 93 for two, trailing the required run rate. Rasikh’s crucial breakthrough came in the 11th over, dismissing Parag for 27. Samson, on 49 off 25 balls at that point, shifted into top gear, partnering effectively with Shubham Dube, who contributed a quickfire 25 off 12 balls.
As the innings progressed, Samson crossed his fifty and unleashed an attacking onslaught. In just over 11 overs, RR managed to bring their total to 103 for three. The partnership between Samson and Dube added 59 runs in swift succession, reigniting hopes for a successful chase. Samson’s masterful innings ended at 86 off 46 balls when Mukesh Kumar had him caught brilliantly by Hope at long-on.
The final overs saw a nerve-wracking contest. Despite finding boundaries, RR kept losing wickets. Shubham Dube sought to clear the ropes again but was caught for 25, impacting the run-chase significantly. Ferreira, making his IPL debut, was trapped leg-before by Kuldeep Yadav in a crucial 18th over, which yielded just four runs. Ashwin followed suit, caught at long-on off Kuldeep’s last ball of the over.
With 37 needed off the final two overs, RR pinned their hopes on Rovman Powell. Rasikh’s penultimate over proved decisive, conceding just eight runs and restricting Powell from unleashing his power-hitting prowess. Needing 29 from the last over, RR’s hopes dimmed when Mukesh bowled Powell off the second delivery, all but sealing DC’s triumph.
This commanding win has significantly bolstered DC’s prospects in the IPL 2024 season, marking them as a team to watch as the competition intensifies.