Delhi Capitals kept their narrow playoff hopes alive with a five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Chasing 194, DC were driven by half-centuries from Abishek Porel and KL Rahul before Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma completed the job with four balls remaining.
Rajasthan Royals had earlier looked set for a much bigger total after Delhi chose to bowl first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 46 off 21 balls and Riyan Parag’s 51 from 26 deliveries lifted RR to 160 for 2 after 14 overs, putting them on course for a possible 220-plus score.
However, Mitchell Starc changed the direction of the innings with three wickets in the 15th over. RR managed only 33 runs from the final six overs and ended on 193 for 8. Starc finished with 4 for 40, while Lungi Ngidi took 2 for 24 and Madhav Tiwari returned 2 for 27.
Sooryavanshi Gives RR a Rapid Start
Yashasvi Jaiswal gave Rajasthan a fast beginning by striking Starc for three boundaries in the first over. From the other end, Sooryavanshi opened his innings by hitting Ngidi for a six off his first ball.
Ngidi responded by dismissing Jaiswal, who was caught at short third off a slower delivery, but Sooryavanshi continued to attack. Despite taking risks, he struck debutant offspinner T. Vijay for three fours and a six in the fifth over.
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Dhruv Jurel then joined the charge, hitting Mukesh Kumar for 4, 6 and 4 off three consecutive balls in the sixth over as RR finished the powerplay at 75 for 1.
Parag Hits His Fastest IPL Fifty
Sooryavanshi eventually fell to Tiwari, caught at long-on, but Parag ensured Rajasthan’s scoring rate remained high. He struck Axar for two sixes in three balls before launching an assault on Mukesh in the 12th over, hitting 6, 4, 6 and 6 in a 23-run over.
At that stage, RR were 140 for 2. Parag soon reached his ninth IPL half-century, getting there from only 23 balls, making it his fastest fifty in the tournament.
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Starc Turns The Match Back Delhi’s Way
Looking for wickets, Axar brought Starc back for the 15th over, and the left-arm seamer delivered immediately. He removed Parag with a slower ball, caught at long-on. Donovan Ferreira lasted only one delivery and was also caught at long-on.
Ravi Singh struck the hat-trick ball, a full toss, for four, but Starc trapped him lbw with the next delivery. It was another slower ball, and Ravi was too early into the shot, with DRS unable to overturn the decision.
When Tiwari dismissed Shubham Dubey in the 17th over, Rajasthan brought in Dasun Shanaka as their Impact Player. Starc dismissed him too with the penultimate ball of his spell, sending down a low full toss from around the wicket that Shanaka hit to long-off. Although Jurel made 53 off 40 balls, RR finished seven short of 200.
Delhi Produce Their Best Powerplay Of The Season
Jofra Archer almost struck in the opening over when Rahul, still yet to score, flicked him to short fine leg. But Yash Raj Punja dropped a simple chance, and DC took full advantage.
Rahul and Porel then found boundaries regularly, with Porel taking the lead in the scoring. The pair guided Delhi to 72 for no loss after six overs, their best powerplay of the season, surpassing the 70 for no loss they had made in the reverse fixture.
Middle Overs Slow Delhi Down
DC were strongly placed at 85 for no loss after seven overs, but the next seven overs brought only 45 runs. Punja began the slowdown with a four-run over, which was also the first over of the innings without a boundary.
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Porel reached his half-century from 29 balls but was dismissed shortly after, caught at long-on while trying to attack Brijesh Sharma. Rahul also fell after making 56 from 42 balls, chopping Shanaka onto his stumps.
Punja gave away only 29 runs in his four overs, but Axar kept Delhi in the chase by finding timely boundaries. After 14 overs, DC were 130 for 2, needing 64 from the final six.
Axar and Ashutosh Finish The Chase
Archer brought Rajasthan back into the contest in the 17th over, conceding only eight runs and dismissing Tristan Stubbs. That left Delhi needing 35 from the last three overs.
With two left-hand batters, Axar and David Miller, at the crease, Parag chose Ferreira’s offspin instead of Shanaka’s medium pace. The move did not work, as Axar and Miller struck a six each in a 16-run over.
Brijesh gave RR renewed hope by removing Miller with the first ball of the 19th over, but Ashutosh responded by heaving the second ball he faced over deep midwicket for six. With seven required from the final over, Ashutosh sealed the match with a four and a six, keeping Delhi Capitals alive in the playoff race.
