Mitchell Marsh (89) and David Warner (52) kept their hopes of reaching the playoffs alive as Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. Rajasthan had given Delhi a target of 161 runs in 20 overs, which Rishabh Pant’s team achieved with 11 balls to spare. However, the first blow to Delhi Capitals came in the form of Shrikar Bharat in the very first over when the team’s account was not even opened. He touched the bat on Trent Boult and gave the catch to the wicketkeeper. But Warner and Marsh adopted the strategy of playing cautiously. Australia’s David Warner and Mitchell Marsh shared a 144-run partnership for the second wicket. In the seventh over, Marsh started with two sixes off Kuldeep Sen.
Delhi’s hopes of reaching playoff remain intact
Yuzvendra Chahal came out to bowl in the ninth over, in which Warner hit a six over deep midwicket off the second ball. The next ball was also picked up at long off and Butler dived to take the catch, but the ball splintered and the opportunity went out of his hands. The last ball hit the stumps and the light was also lit, but the bails remained unmoved, keeping Warner unbeaten. Delhi Capitals’ score after 10 overs was 74 for one, after which Marsh completed his half-century by hitting Chahal for a six. Marsh continued to score runs quickly but fell victim to Chahal’s delivery in the 18th over. However, by then the team was close to victory. Captain Rishabh Pant (13 not out) then completed the formality of victory with Warner.
With this win, Delhi has 12 points, while Rajasthan remains on 14 points. Both the teams have retained their old places on the points table. So far, only Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans have made it to the playoffs.
Earlier, with the help of half-century from Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (50 runs) and 48 runs from Devdutt Padikkal, Rajasthan Royals scored 160 for six against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. Apart from Ashwin (38 balls, four fours, two sixes) and Padikkal (30 balls, six fours, two sixes), only Yashasvi Jaiswal (19) and Rasi van der Dussen (12 not out) could reach double digits.
Jos Buttler was out for 7 runs
The bowlers of Delhi Capitals bowled tightly, taking wickets at frequent intervals, not allowing Rajasthan Royals to make a big score. For Delhi, Enrique Norkia, Mitchell Marsh and Chetan Sakaria took two wickets each. After being invited to bat, Rajasthan Royals got off to a slow start and then lost the wicket of their star batsman Jos Buttler (07) in the third over, who could not time the delivery of Chetan Sakaria and reached the pavilion by catching Shardul Thakur.
The team took an interesting decision and brought their off-spinner Ashwin to bat at number three. Ashwin also came true to the team’s new strategy. He scored his first fifty in IPL which was also his best score in this league. This was his first fifty in T20Is, where he has scored half-centuries in every format of the game.
Ashwin hit two fours on the leg-side and covers in Thakur’s first and team’s fifth over. He then hit a four on Axar Patel in the very next over and then hit two shots at long on for a six. In this way, the team’s score in the powerplay was 43 runs for one wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal (19 balls, one four, one six) had given the team hope but he could not repeat the performance of the previous match and fell victim to Mitchell Marsh in the ninth over. Delhi got the second wicket for 54 runs.
Ashwin scored his first half-century of T20
Now Padikkal was at the crease, who made two fours in the same over as soon as he came. Ashwin and Padikkal got the team off to a good start from the early blows. In the 12th over, Ashwin hit a brilliant six over the head of Kuldeep Yadav (20 runs in three overs, no wickets) and reached his half-century.
In the next over, Padikkal D hit two scintillating sixes at backward point and long on, which the team desperately needed.
Ashwin hit Sakariya for a four in the 14th over with an uppercut over the wicketkeeper and reached his highest IPL score in T20Is by 48 runs. Then he scored his first half-century in T20 by scoring two more runs in the same over.
However, on the first ball of the next over, Ashwin became the third player to be dismissed. Could not time Marsh’s ball and got caught by David Warner. Captain Sanju Samson came out to bat at number five. Padikkal increased the score with two consecutive fours, as the team’s score was 116 for three after the 15th over. Riyan Parag also returned to the pavilion soon after Samson (06). The team lost three wickets in the last five overs and could add only 44 runs.