Delhi Capitals (DC) register a 20-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home to register their sixth win of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season to keep their playoffs hopes alive. RR skipper Sanju Samson’s 86-run knock went in vain as they failed to chase down the target of 222. DC are now fifth on the points table.
Jake goes berserk
Earlier, Samson won the toss and opted to field first. Jake Fraser-McGurk got off to a nervy start. He hit Trent Boult for a six and two fours in the third overa fter getting hit in the box. In Avesh Khan's first over, he went berserk and smashed four fours and a couple of sixes. He reached his half-century from just 19 balls. Ravichandran Ashwin got the breakthrough. Fraser-McGurk departed for a 20-ball 50 including seven fours and three sixes. In the next over, Shai Hope got run out as a deflection off Sandeep Sharma's hand hit the stumps. After powerplay overs, DC were 78/2.
Porel’s fiery fifty
Abhishek Porel accelerated in the middle overs hitting shots all around the park. He even targetted Yuzvendra Chahal. Axar Patel departed for a cameo to Ashwin. He scored 15 runs from 10 balls. Porel reached his half-century with a six. He reached the milestone from 28 balls. Ashwin got the breakthrough again. Porel got caught at backward point. His 36-ball 65 was laced with seven fours and three sixes. Chahal got the better of Pant. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 15 runs from 13 balls. He became Chahal's 350th T20 victim.
Stubbs takes DC to big score
Gulbadin Naib on his IPL debut hit Chahal for a six. Sandeep kept Tristan Stubbs and Naib quiet in the 17th over and conceded just four runs. Chahal conceded 21 runs in the final over. Stubbs hit him for two fours and a six. In the penultimate over, Naib departed for a 15-ball 19. Rasikh Salam stunned Boult with two consecutive fours. Stubbs hit two consecutive sixes off Sandeep in the final before getting out lbw. He scored 41 runs from 20 balls. On the final delivery, Salam got run out. DC posted a fighting total of 221/8.
Samson leads run chase
Yashasvi Jaiswal started the run chase with a boundary. He got out off the next ball to Khaleel Ahmed. Ishant Sharma started with an economical over against Jos Buttler. Samson targetted Ahmed in the next over hitting a six and two fours. Samson went after Ishant as he hit a six for two fours. Buttler's catch was dropped by Stubbs off the first ball bowled by Mukesh. Samson hit a six and two fours in the same over. Axar in the last over of poweprlay overs was hit for a six by Buttler. The opener got bowled on the fifth ball. He scored 19 runs from 17 balls. RR were 67/2 after powerplay overs.
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Samson departs for big score
Kuldeep kept Samson and Riyan Parag quiet. Parag hit the first six of his innings off Axar. At halhwat stage, RR were 93/2. Salam was introduced into the attack. He was hit for a six by Parag but got his wicket off the last ball. He scored 27 runs from 22 balls. Samson brought up his fifty with a six in the 12th over. He hit Salam for two sixes and a four. Shubham Dubey supported Samson well with a cameo. In the 16th over, Samson got caught by Shai Hope on the boundary. He departed for a 46-ball 86 featuring eight fours and six sixes. Mukesh Kumar got the much-needed breakthrough.
Dubey’s cameo in vain
Rovman Powell hit a boundary off the first ball. Dubey hit a six and a four off Khaleel in the 17th over. In the same over, he departed for a 12-ball 25. On-debut Donovan Ferreira got out lbw for a single-digit score. In the same over, Kuldeep got the better of Ashwin as well. In the penultimate over, Salam bowled well and was hit for a six by Powell. In the final over, 29 runs were needed. In the final over, Powell got bowled. He conceded eight runs in the final over. RR managed to post 201/8 and lost the match by 20 runs.
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