Delhi keep playoffs hope alive
Kuldeep Yadav’s game-changing 17th over combined with Mukesh Kumar taking key wickets at the crucial points kept Delhi Capitals (DC) alive in their hunt for a spot in the playoffs following their 20-run win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Kuldeep in his 17th over conceded just four runs and picked two wickets which helped DC take advantage in the final moments of the game.
DC scored 53 runs in the final three overs while the Royals managed only 20 runs which played a key role in their defeat and at the same time kept DC’s hopes alive.
Chasing 222, Royals’ Jos Buttler came in as an impact substitute for the visitors and failed to make much of an impact along with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Jaiswal found the fence on the first ball of the first over but Khaleel Ahmed struck on the next ball to dismiss the young opener.
The World Cup-bound opener’s dismissal introduced Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson who went all guns blazing. Buttler found two boundaries and tonked a maximum before Axar breached through his defence and dislodged his stumps in the final over of the powerplay. RR ended the powerplay with a score of 67/2.
The Royals skipper went on to forge a 36-run stand with Riyan Parag (27) and then a 59-run stand with Shubham Dubey.
Khaleel bowled four consecutive wides in the 14th over which helped RR maintain the asking rate. Samson (86) seemed well poised to hit the three-digit mark but Mukesh Kumar dismissed the set batter with Shai Hope taking a sharp catch at the boundary.
With four overs left and Royals 52 runs behind, Shubham struck a six and a four in the first two balls off Khaleel to take the visitors close to the target. Khaleel once again had the last laugh with a short ball to dismiss Shubham (25).
Debutant Donovan Ferreira’s moment to shine was stolen away by Kuldeep Yadav in a gamechanging 18th over. The ‘Chinaman’ spinner struck back in the same over by claiming Ravichandran Ashwin’s wicket.
The Royals needed Rovman Powell’s big hitting at the death and he delivered with a towering six off Rasikh Dar Salam when the visitors needed 35 runs in 9 deliveries. With 29 runs needed in 6 deliveries, Boult took a single to put Powell on strike and make the equation 28 runs in 5 balls.
Mukesh put the final nail in the coffin with a curving yorker making Powell (13) lose his shape and dislodge the bails off the stumps.
Earlier in the innings, after being put to bat first by the Royals, Delhi had a fine start with Jake Fraser McGurk once again taking the aggressor role and reducing Abhishek Porel to a mere spectator at the non-striker’s end.
The Australian shifted to another gear in the third over by Trent Boult, first launching him for a lofted straight drive for six and two fine boundaries in the first three balls of the over. After winning this mini-battle against the New Zealander, McGurk absolutely demolished Avesh Khan in the next over, hitting him for four boundaries and two massive sixes over longoff and deep mid-wicket, a boundary on every ball.
DC reached the 50-run mark in just 3.5 overs. On the next ball, McGurk reached his own fifty with seven fours and three sixes. However, he gave away his wicket at a high full toss by Ravichandran Ashwin. In the next over, Shai Hope was run out for just one run by Sandeep Sharma. At the end of the powerplay in six overs, DC were 78/2, with Axar Patel (5*) and Porel (22*) unbeaten.
Porel then helped DC reach the 100-run mark in 8.2 overs. Ashwin then removed Axar for 15.
Porel reached his half-century in 28 balls, with five fours and three sixes. Porel’s knock was cut short by Ashwin as he was caught by Sandeep Sharma.
The left-hander scored 65 in 36 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. Skipper Pant was dismissed for just 15 in 13 balls by Chahal. In the death overs, Tristan Stubbs and Gulbadin Naib shared a 45run stand was over as DC ended their innings at 221/8.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 221/8 (Abhishek Porel 63, Jake Fraser McGurk 50, R Ashwin 3/24) beat Rajasthan Royals 201/8 (Sanju Samson 86, Riyan Parag 27; Kuldeep Yadav 2-25).