In a gripping encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR), adding excitement to the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Points Table. This win sees DC joining three other teams with 12 points, making the competition more intense as the tournament progresses.
The game began with RR winning the toss and opting to bowl, a decision made with the confidence that their batting could chase down any target set by their opponents. The pitch, known for yielding high scores, lived up to its reputation, and the DC openers wasted no time in exploiting it.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was the standout performer with a swift and entertaining knock. He blasted his way to a 19-ball half-century, remarkably his slowest fifty of the season, underlining the kind of impact he has had in the tournament. Avesh Khan’s fourth over bore the brunt of Fraser-McGurk’s aggression, being hammered for 28 runs, which included four boundaries and two sixes, enabling Fraser-McGurk to reach his fifty in that over.
His cameo was brought to an end when he was caught at cover off R Ashwin’s bowling, with Donovan Ferreira making no mistake with the catch. At the other end, Abishek Porel built a steady start with a couple of early boundaries and took over the mantle of scoring after Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal. Shai Hope’s unfortunate run-out didn’t faze Porel, who continued to attack the RR bowlers intermittently. Axar Patel accompanied him until the 10th over before Ashwin claimed his wicket with a catch at long-on, leaving DC at 115 for three at the halfway stage, poised for a substantial total.
Porel kept the momentum going, spanking a six off Avesh in the 11th over to notch up his maiden fifty in the TATA IPL 2024 off just 28 balls. His innings ended when he was caught off Sandeep Sharma for a well-compiled 65. Rishabh Pant was soon after dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal, who registered his 350th T20 wicket. In came Gulbadin Naib to join Tristan Stubbs, and the duo worked to steady the ship before launching into an all-out assault in the final overs.
The closing stages saw Stubbs coming into his own, finding boundaries comfortably. He smashed a vital 41 off 20 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes, two of which came in the last over bowled by Sandeep. One of the turning points that set the stage for DC’s final flourish was Chahal’s 18th over, inaccurately bowled for 21 runs. The entry of Rasikh Salam as an Impact Player proved beneficial, as he chipped in with crucial boundaries, much to the delight of his teammates. DC wrapped up their innings at an imposing 221 for eight, setting a high target but bearing in mind the pitch conditions, RR were confident.
RR’s chase required standout performances from their star players, and captain Sanju Samson answered the call with a breathtaking innings. The chase began explosively as Yashasvi Jaiswal struck the first ball for four but was dismissed off the next delivery by Khaleel Ahmed.
. Jos Buttler, RR’s Impact Player, took time to settle, which gave Samson the opportunity to set the pace.
Samson’s aggression was on full display when he hit a towering six off Khaleel in the third over, marking his 200th six in TATA IPL history. The following over saw Ishant Sharma dispatched for two boundaries and a six, infusing momentum into RR’s innings. A near-miss for DC occurred in the fifth over bowled by Mukesh Kumar, where Buttler was dropped by Tristan Stubbs. Despite the chances, Samson pushed RR past fifty in short order.
In the sixth over, Buttler found some form, scoring two boundaries before being trapped leg-before by Axar, sparking DC’s celebrations. RR then experienced a slowdown, struggling to hit boundaries as Riyan Parag took his time to settle. At the halfway mark, RR were 93 for two and lagging behind the required run-rate. Rasikh stepped in to dismiss Parag for 27 in the 11th over, leaving Samson on 49 off 25 balls.
Samson then accelerated, ably supported by Shubham Dube, who contributed a quick-fire 25 off 12 balls. At 11 overs, RR were 103 for three and the partnership reignited their chase, with 59 runs coming off the next 29 balls. Samson crossed his fifty and continued to keep RR in the hunt. However, his valiant effort ended on 86 off 46 balls when Mukesh caught him brilliantly at long-on.
The late stages saw a seesaw battle. RR were managing boundaries but also losing wickets. Dube attempted another big hit but was caught out for 25. Donovan Ferreira was trapped leg-before by Kuldeep Yadav in the 18th over, a key moment that saw RR’s run-rate stutter. Kuldeep’s tight over conceded just four runs and ended with Ashwin’s wicket, leaving RR needing 37 off the last two overs.
With the onus on Rovman Powell, Rasikh bowled an excellent penultimate over, giving away only eight runs and restricting Powell. RR needed 29 from the final over, and when Mukesh bowled Powell on the second ball, the match was all but decided. DC’s disciplined bowling in the death overs ensured their victory by 20 runs, adding well-deserved points to their tally and keeping their playoff hopes alive.