In a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a crucial 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR), shaking up the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Points Table. This victory elevates DC to 12 points, placing them on an even keel with three other competitive teams, adding a fascinating twist to the ongoing tournament.
The day began with the Rajasthan Royals electing to bowl first after winning the toss, confident that their batting line-up could chase down any target set by DC, especially on a ground that had witnessed some hefty scores this season. However, it was the DC openers who set the tone early, indicating that the pitch was ripe for big runs.
A star performer for Delhi, Jake Fraser-McGurk, enthralled spectators with his aggressive and entertaining batting display, racing to a half-century in just 19 balls. Remarkably, this was his slowest fifty of the season, illustrating the impact he has had throughout the tournament. The highlight of his innings came in the fourth over, bowled by Avesh Khan, from which Fraser-McGurk hammered 28 runs, comprising four boundaries and two maximums, reaching his milestone in that very over.
R Ashwin, however, managed to halt Fraser-McGurk’s explosive innings, as the batsman sent one straight to cover where Donovan Ferreira took a sharp catch. At the same time, Abishek Porel began steadily before amplifying the pressure on the RR bowlers, especially after Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal. Despite Shai Hope’s unfortunate run-out early in the innings, Porel remained undeterred, continuing to attack RR’s bowlers at regular intervals. Axar Patel provided solid support until the 10th over before Ashwin once again struck, claiming another wicket with Patel caught at long-on. By the halfway mark, DC stood at a promising 115 for three, set for a formidable total.
Porel reached his maiden fifty in the TATA IPL 2024, launching Avesh for a six in the 11th over. His impressive innings took just 28 balls, demonstrating remarkable maturity and aggression. Despite a dip in their scoring rate due to some rapid wickets, DC managed to recover with Porel falling for a well-made 65 off Sandeep Sharma, and Rishabh Pant getting dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal, who celebrated his landmark 350th T20 wicket.
The responsibility then fell on Gulbadin Naib and Tristan Stubbs to stabilize the innings before the final onslaught. Stubbs, known for his aggressive style, delivered a scintillating 41 off 20 balls, featuring three boundaries and an equal number of sixes. His batting heroics escalated in the final over, bowled by Sandeep, during which two sixes propelled DC to a total of 221 for eight.
The run-fest against Chahal in the 18th over, which yielded 21 runs, set the stage for their climactic finish.
. Rasikh Salam, brought in as an Impact Player, shone in the concluding moments with some elegant scoops fetching two fours, much to the delight of the DC camp. Despite this impressive total, the dynamic RR side felt confident enough to back their own big hitters.
The chase for RR required one of their batting stalwarts to step up, and it was their captain Sanju Samson who rose to the occasion. Yashaswi Jaiswal was dismissed for a boundary off the second ball of the innings, providing a brief setback. However, Jos Buttler entered the fray as an Impact Player, while Samson took the helm of the chase.
Samson launched his assault in the third over with a colossal six off Khaleel Ahmed, marking his 200th six in the TATA IPL. The fifth over could have shifted momentum to DC’s side when Mukesh Kumar induced a high chance off Buttler, dropped by Stubbs. Nonetheless, Samson’s ferocious hitting propelled RR past the half-century mark.
Following some quiet overs and Buttler’s dismissal for 30, the halfway stage saw RR trailing at 93 for two. With Riyan Parag taking his time, Rasikh eventually dismissed him for 27. With Samson on 49, the crucial overs saw him intensify his strike rate. An explosive cameo from Shubham Dube, who scored 25 off 12, helped reignite their chase. Together, they added 59 runs in a flurry of strokes before Samson fell victim to Mukesh after a valiant knock of 86, brilliantly caught by Hope at long-on.
The ebb and flow of the game continued in the slog overs, with RR intermittently finding the ropes but losing wickets simultaneously. Kuldeep Yadav delivered a match-defining 18th over, not only claiming the wicket of debutant Donovan Ferreira but also executing a crucial dismissal of Ashwin, limiting RR to just four runs in the over.
With 37 required off the last 12 balls, all eyes were on Rovman Powell. Rasikh bowled an impeccable penultimate over, conceding just eight runs and quelling Powell’s big-hitting aspirations.
Ultimately, 29 runs off the final over proved too much. Mukesh’s excellent delivery saw Powell bowled off the second ball, effectively sealing a memorable victory for the Delhi Capitals and transforming the IPL standings into a highly competitive affair.