Led by a formidable batting display, the Delhi Capitals (DC) clinched a 20-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 56th match of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This win propels DC to 12 points, putting them level with three other teams and adding a layer of intrigue to the IPL 2024 Points Table.
The contest began with RR winning the toss and opting to bowl first, confident in their batting depth to chase down any target. DC’s opening pair quickly validated the pitch’s reputation for high scores, launching an aggressive start.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was at the forefront of this early onslaught, racing to a half-century in just 19 balls. Remarkably, this was his slowest fifty of the season, underscoring his consistent impact. During the fourth over, bowled by Avesh Khan, Fraser-McGurk smashed 28 runs, including four fours and two sixes, before being caught at cover by Donovan Ferreira on a delivery by R Ashwin.
Abishek Porel, meanwhile, started steadily and gradually took the reins after Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal. Despite an early run-out of Shai Hope, Porel maintained his aggressive approach. Axar Patel provided solid support until the 10th over when he fell to Ashwin. At the halfway mark, DC stood at 115 for three, positioning themselves for a hefty total. Porel reached his maiden IPL fifty in the 11th over, needing just 28 balls.
DC’s momentum waned somewhat as wickets fell in quick succession. Porel was dismissed for 65 by Sandeep Sharma, while Yuzvendra Chahal claimed the milestone of his 350th T20 wicket by sending Rishabh Pant back to the pavilion. Gulbadin Naib and Tristan Stubbs then took charge of rebuilding the innings.
Stubbs particularly stood out, hammering a 20-ball 41 featuring three fours and three sixes, two of which came during the final over. Chahal, having had a successful IPL season, experienced a rare off day when he conceded 21 runs in the 18th over.
. Rasikh Salam, introduced as an Impact Player, made an immediate impact with two fours, lifting DC to a total of 221 for eight – a competitive score given the batting-friendly conditions.
Rajasthan Royals knew they needed one of their big hitters to fire, and it was captain Sanju Samson who answered the call. Despite Yashaswi Jaiswal hitting the first ball for a four before being dismissed on the next delivery by Khaleel Ahmed, and Jos Buttler taking time to settle in as an Impact Player, Samson managed to steer the innings effectively.
Samson’s switch to high gear began in the third over with a towering six off Khaleel, marking his 200th six in his IPL career. Sequentially, he unleashed a barrage of boundaries, notably against Ishant Sharma and Mukesh Kumar. The latter over almost produced a critical opportunity when Buttler was dropped by Stubbs.
By the sixth over, despite Samson’s heroics, Buttler’s dismissal for damaging a ball off Axar Patel slowed RR’s progress. Riyan Parag couldn’t pick up the pace immediately, and by the halfway stage, RR was trailing at 93 for two. Parag eventually fell for 27 to Rasikh in the 11th over, leaving Samson, who had scored 49 off 25 balls, to keep the chase alive.
Samson’s determined knock, supported briefly by Shubham Dube (25 off 12 balls), reignited RR’s hopes. Together, they added 59 runs in just 29 balls before Samson was dismissed for a captain’s knock of 86 off 46 balls, courtesy of a splendid boundary line catch by Hope.
The chase see-sawed during the slog overs, as RR managed to find boundaries but also lost crucial wickets. Shubham Dube’s attempt to clear the boundary resulted in his dismissal, and Donovan Ferreira, in his debut IPL innings, was trapped leg-before by Kuldeep in the critical 18th over. Kuldeep also managed to get Ashwin out for a tight over, conceding only four runs.
The task boiled down to 37 runs needed off the final two overs with eyes set on Rovman Powell. However, Rasikh’s exemplary penultimate over, conceding merely eight runs, left Powell stifled.
With 29 required off the last over, Mukesh’s scalp of Powell on the second ball effectively sealed RR’s fate, handing DC a successful 20-run victory and making significant waves in the IPL 2024 standings.