In an electrifying TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious with a 20-run win against Rajasthan Royals (RR), adding more excitement to the IPL Points Table. Both DC and three other teams now boast 12 points, ramping up the competition as the tournament advances.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, RR placed their faith in their batting lineup to chase down any total set by DC. The decision seemed wise, given the ground’s history of high scores, and the game lived up to that expectation from the very start.
Opening for DC, Jake Fraser-McGurk put on a display of aggressive and entertaining batting, racing to a 19-ball half-century. Remarkably, this was his slowest fifty of the season, highlighting the impact he has had throughout the tournament. The highlight of his innings came in the fourth over, bowled by Avesh Khan, which Fraser-McGurk completely dominated. Smashing four fours and two sixes, he brought his fifty up in that over, much to the delight of the DC supporters.
However, Fraser-McGurk’s fiery innings was cut short by Ravichandran Ashwin, who had him caught at cover by Donovan Ferreira. Meanwhile, Abishek Porel, who had a cautious start, began to open up after Fraser-McGurk’s departure. Despite the early run-out of Shai Hope, Porel remained undeterred, continuously attacking the bowlers. Axar Patel provided a solid partnership until he too was dismissed by Ashwin, caught at long-on in the 10th over. DC stood at 115 for three at the midway point, poised for a substantial total.
Porel reached his first fifty of the season in the 11th over, taking just 28 balls to achieve the milestone. Though DC’s momentum flagged with quick dismissals, including Porel for 65 off Sandeep Sharma and Rishabh Pant falling to Yuzvendra Chahal, who celebrated his 350th T20 wicket, the team managed to regain composure.
Tristan Stubbs and Gulbadin Naib took on the task of stabilizing the innings, making full use of the slog overs. Stubbs particularly shined, scoring a rapid 41 from 20 balls with three fours and three sixes. The final over, bowled by Sandeep Sharma, witnessed two towering sixes from Stubbs, capping DC’s innings at 221 for eight.
.
Defending the total, DC needed early breakthroughs and got one immediately when Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed by Khaleel Ahmed on the second ball of the innings. Jos Buttler, brought in as an Impact Player, initially struggled but provided important support to captain Sanju Samson, who took charge of the chase with a scintillating performance.
Samson marked his 200th six in the IPL with a mammoth shot off Khaleel in the third over and aggressively targeted Ishant Sharma in the following over. Despite a dropped catch by Stubbs off Mukesh Kumar, Samson pushed RR past fifty within the powerplay.
However, Buttler’s stay was cut short by Axar Patel, and RR’s innings slowed down a bit. Riyan Parag found it challenging to accelerate, and with the run rate climbing, he was eventually caught by Rasikh Salam for 27. DC capitalized on the lull, continuously pressing RR for wickets.
Samson, on 49 off 25 balls at the midway mark, accelerated again, forming a crucial partnership with Shubham Dube. Together, they added 59 runs in just 29 balls, bringing RR back into contention. Samson reached his half-century and continued his aggressive play until he was dismissed for a spectacular 86 from 46 balls, thanks to a brilliant balancing act on the boundary by Shai Hope.
The final overs saw a tense battle. Although RR found boundaries, they also lost wickets at crucial moments. Shubham Dube, contributing 25 from 12, was dismissed trying for another big hit. Riyan Parag and Donovan Ferreira’s wickets further dented RR’s chances, with Kuldeep Yadav holding an exceptional 18th over, allowing just four runs and dismissing Ashwin.
Needing 37 from the last two overs, all eyes were on Rovman Powell. However, Rasikh kept it tight in the penultimate over, conceding only eight runs. The task was daunting for RR – 29 needed from the last over, and Mukesh Kumar further tipped the scales by bowling Powell on the second ball, sealing a memorable victory for DC.
Thus, Delhi Capitals registered a crucial win, adding more drama to the TATA IPL 2024 standings and keeping their playoff hopes alive in this nail-biting season.