A forgettable batting display excluding skipper Sanju Samson meant that Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffer a humiliating defeat by 33 runs at the hands of Delhi Capitals. RR’s fifth loss of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 means that they will have a tough time qualifying for the playoffs with five more games to go.
Poor start to run chase
Chasing a target of 155 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, RR got off to a poor start losing three wickets for just 17 runs in the fifth over. Liam Livingstone’s promotion up the order in absence of an unfit Evin Lewis did not work as he departed after scoring just one run. Yashasvi Jaiswal too disappointed after a 49-run knock in the previous game. T20 veteran David Miller at No.5 was ineffective too as he got out after scoring just seven runs.
No help from other end to Samson
After the top order collapse, Samson did not have much support from other end to keep the run rate from going up. Mahipal Lomror was the only other batsman in the lineup who registered a double-digit score. Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia struggled and then threw their wickets away under pressure. Samson remained not out for 70 from 53 balls including eight fours and one six. The game was not alive going into the final over as Rajasthan needed 45 from it.
Shamsi struggles on RR debut
The in-form No.1 T20I bowler Tabraiz Shamsi remained wicketless on RR debut. Shamsi replaced an unfit Chris Morris in the side. The Proteas spinner gave 34 runs in his quota over four overs despite bowling on a pitch that favoured the bowlers.
Iyer missed a big one, Hetmyer plays cameo
Openers of both teams failed to get the team off to a good start. Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw registered single-digit scores too. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant did some damage control but Pant lost his wicket when DC needed to accelerate. Iyer top-scored for DC but failed to convert it into a big score as he got out for 43 off 32 deliveries including a six and two fours. Shimron Hetmyer gave DC a much-needed boost with his 28-run cameo. The Caribbean batter scored five boundaries in 16 deliveries he faced. The southpaw’s innings followed by valuable runs down the order helped DC get past the 150-run mark and post a fighting total on the board.
