In an electrifying encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats, Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 20 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The triumph added crucial points to DC’s tally, making the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Points Table exceedingly competitive. DC now stands at 12 points, a position shared with three other teams, intensifying the race for playoff spots.
RR won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision influenced by the high-scoring nature of the pitch, confident in their ability to chase down any target. The match began with a scintillating display of batting from DC’s openers. Jake Fraser-McGurk was in blistering form, smashing his way to a 19-ball half-century, marking his slowest fifty of the season, which speaks volumes about his explosive impact this year. The fourth over saw Avesh Khan being dispatched for 28 runs, loaded with four boundaries and two towering sixes, bringing Fraser-McGurk to his fifty.
However, R. Ashwin delivered a breakthrough by getting Fraser-McGurk caught at cover by Donovan Ferreira. Abishek Porel, who had been steady at the other end, then took over the mantle of aggression. Porel, unaffected by Shai Hope’s early run-out, continued to dismantle RR’s bowlers. Supported by Axar Patel until the 10th over, DC managed to put up 115 for three at the halfway mark, aiming for an imposing score. Porel soon reached his maiden TATA IPL 2024 fifty in just 28 balls by launching Avesh Khan for a six in the 11th over.
The tempo of DC’s innings dipped momentarily as quick wickets ensued. Porel was dismissed for 65 by Sandeep Sharma, and Yuzvendra Chahal, highlighting his T20 prowess with his 350th wicket, got rid of Rishabh Pant. Gulbadin Naib and Tristan Stubbs found themselves with the task of rebuilding the innings.
As the innings neared its end, Stubbs took charge, delivering a flurry of boundaries. His 41 off 20 balls included three fours and three sixes, two of which highlighted the final over, bowled by Sandeep Sharma. Chahal, despite a strong season, conceded 21 runs in the 18th over, courtesy of Rashik Salam’s aggressive strokes who also contributed with two fours in the last overs. DC concluded their innings at 221 for eight, a formidable total they believed would challenge RR.
RR’s chase required at least one of their batting stalwarts to fire. Captain Sanju Samson assumed responsibility with an extraordinary innings while Yashaswi Jaiswal hit a boundary off the first over from Khaleel Ahmed but was dismissed shortly after.
. Jos Buttler, coming in as an Impact Player, took time to settle which allowed Samson to dominate.
Samson launched into Khaleel in the third over with a massive six, marking his 200th six in his IPL career. The next over saw him hitting Ishant Sharma for two fours and a six. The fifth over almost saw Jos Buttler’s dismissal, but Tristan Stubbs missed the catch off Mukesh Kumar’s delivery. Nonetheless, Samson’s continued aggression swiftly took RR past fifty.
Buttler’s struggle culminated in the sixth over as he inside-edged a delivery from Axar Patel, leading to his dismissal. The subsequent middle overs saw a slowdown as boundaries became scarce, and Riyan Parag took time to build his innings. At the halfway stage, RR were stationed at 93 for two, trailing behind the required rate. Rasikh Salam soon sent Parag back to the pavilion for 27 in the 11th over.
Samson, unbeaten on 49 off 25 balls then, accelerated the scoring rate, with solid support from Shubham Dube who scored a quick 25 off 12 balls. The duo added 59 runs in just 29 balls, reviving RR’s hopes. Samson’s powerful batting display continued until Mukesh Kumar dismissed him for a magnificent 86 off 46 balls. Samson’s dismissal resulted from a stupendous catch by Shai Hope at long-on.
As the match approached its climax, the pendulum swung wildly in the slog overs. Despite frequent boundaries, RR consistently lost wickets. Shubham Dube’s aggressive knock ended at 25 as he perished trying to hit another big shot. Donovan Ferreira, in his debut IPL innings, fell leg-before to Kuldeep Yadav in the defining 18th over. Not only did Kuldeep secure the wicket but he also yielded just four runs, including the critical wicket of Ashwin off the last ball, as he was caught at long-on.
This left RR with a hefty target of 37 off the last two overs. Amid heightened pressure, Rashik bowled a tight penultimate over, conceding just eight runs and denying Rovman Powell the chances he needed. Needing 29 off the final over, RR were disheartened when Powell was bowled by Mukesh Kumar on the second ball, effectively sealing the game for DC.
This high-octane clash concluded with DC securing a vital win, pushing themselves further up the points table and turning the IPL 2024 season into an even more thrilling contest.