Led by a well-rounded batting performance that truly set the stage, Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a commanding 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This victory has significantly spiced up the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Points Table, pushing DC to 12 points — a tally they now share with three other teams, making the competition more gripping than ever.
RR, confident in their batting prowess on a pitch known for yielding high scores, opted to bowl first after winning the toss. The decision quickly seemed to backfire as DC openers blazed through the initial overs with an onslaught of boundaries.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was in sensational form, racing to a 19-ball half-century. Remarkably, this was his slowest fifty of the season, underscoring the incredible impact he has had throughout the tournament. The fourth over, bowled by Avesh Khan, epitomized his aggression, as Fraser-McGurk plundered 28 runs, smashing four fours and two sixes to complete his fifty.
However, Fraser-McGurk’s blitz was curtailed when R Ashwin dismissed him, thanks to a solid catch by Donovan Ferreira at cover. At the other end, Abishek Porel had been playing steadily, but Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal spurred him to take charge. Despite an early run-out of Shai Hope, Porel remained undeterred, frequently attacking the RR bowlers. He found able support in Axar Patel up to the 10th over until Ashwin struck again, sending Patel back to the pavilion at long-on. By the halfway mark, DC had laid a strong foundation with 115 for three.
Porel continued his aggressive innings, reaching his maiden fifty of the TATA IPL 2024 in just 28 balls by hitting a six off Avesh Khan in the 11th over. Although the innings slowed momentarily due to a flurry of wickets, DC managed to keep the momentum. Porel was eventually caught off Sandeep Sharma for an enterprising 65, and Rishabh Pant was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal, who notched his 350th wicket in T20 cricket. This led to Gulbadin Naib joining Tristan Stubbs to orchestrate a middle-order revival.
As the innings progressed into the slog overs, Stubbs exhibited his aggressive streak, routinely finding the boundary. His 20-ball 41 featured three fours and an equal number of sixes, two of which came in the final over bowled by Sandeep Sharma.
Chahal, bowling the 18th over, was dispatched for 21 runs, setting the stage for a furious finish. Rasikh Salam, stepping in as an Impact Player, contributed with timely boundaries, culminating in a DC total of 221 for eight — a competitive score but one that RR, relying on their batting depth, felt confident of pursuing.
Chasing 222, RR needed one of their key players to step up, and it was captain Sanju Samson who led the charge with a stellar and responsible innings.
. Although Yashaswi Jaiswal began with a boundary, he was dismissed the very next ball by Khaleel Ahmed. Jos Buttler, brought in as an Impact Player, took a while to settle. Meanwhile, Samson accelerated the run chase.
Samson demonstrated his intent by hitting a massive six off Khaleel in the third over, marking his 200th six in the IPL. Following this, he assaulted Ishant Sharma’s bowling, striking two fours and a six. A missed catch by Stubbs in the fifth over off Mukesh Kumar almost gave DC a breakthrough, but Samson remained unscathed, propelling RR past fifty.
Despite Buttler’s brief surge of two boundaries in the sixth over, he fell prey to Axar Patel, sparking celebrations among DC players. RR’s momentum stuttered as boundaries became hard to come by. Riyan Parag, though initially slow, tried to stabilize the innings. By the halfway point, RR lagged behind at 93 for two. Rasikh Salam ended Parag’s innings at 27 in the 11th over.
Standing at 49 off 25 balls, Samson then took charge, aided by Shubham Dube, who made a quickfire 25 off 12 balls. The duo reignited the chase, adding a swift 59 runs in 29 balls. Samson breezed past his fifty and maintained an aggressive stance. His spectacular knock finally ended at 86 off 46 balls, brilliantly caught by Hope off Mukesh Kumar.
The final overs were a rollercoaster, with RR gaining boundaries but losing crucial wickets. Shubham Dube’s valiant efforts ended when he fell for 25, trying to clear the ropes once more. The debutant Donovan Ferreira was trapped leg-before by Kuldeep Yadav in the 18th over, a turning point for DC as Kuldeep conceded just four runs and got Ashwin caught at long-on off the last ball.
With 37 required from the last two overs, all eyes were on Rovman Powell. An economical penultimate over by Rasikh Salam, who conceded only eight runs, ensured that Powell couldn’t swing the game.
Needing 29 runs off the final over, RR’s hopes were dashed when Powell was bowled on the second delivery by Mukesh Kumar, effectively sealing DC’s emphatic victory.
