PARAGMATIC

Riyan reserves best for last, scripts Royals win

Jaipur, March 28: Riyan Parag smashed an unbeaten 84 off 45-ball as Rajasthan Royals defeated Delhi Capitals by 12 runs in their IPL match here on Thursday.

Sent in to bat, Parag hit seven fours and six sixes on way to his highest IPL score as RR recovered from 36 for 3 in the eighth over to post a challenging 185 for 5.

In reply, opener David Warner made a 34-ball 49 but Delhi crumbled under pressure with the bowlers producing a clinical display. Tristan Stubbs (44 not out) tried his bit but it was too little too late.

Nandre Burger (2/29) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2/19) picked up two wickets each. Avesh Khan (1/29) also did well.

Earlier, Parag took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score. His knock was studded with seven fours and six sixes.

He held the home side’s innings together after they were invited to bat first. He shared 54 and 52 runs respectively with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20) after RR made a shaky start.

Royals captain Sanju Samson threatened to play another destructive innings after his knock of 82 not out in the win against Lucknow Super Giants as he struck three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over bowled by pacer Mukesh Kumar.

But Samson nicked a Khaleel Ahmed delivery two overs later to Delhi Capitals captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant to get out for 15. RR were 30 for 2 by then as Mukesh Kumar had given DC their first breakthrough with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (5).

The Royals were in more trouble after wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav literally forced his captain Pant to take a review, which later proved to be successful, to dismiss Englishman Jos Buttler for a leg before wicket decision. Ravichandran Ashwin came out to bat at number five and he lofted a Kuldeep delivery for a six to help RR reach 58 for 3 at halfway stage. He gave Nortje even a harsher treatment with two sixes in the next over that yielded 15 runs.

Ashwin, however, could not cause a big damage as he holed out to Tristan Stubbs near the boundary for a 19-ball 29.