The IPL 2024 playoff race just got even more interesting. Second-placed Rajasthan Royals suffered yet another defeat as their entry into the playoffs was postponed once again. They lost by 20 runs to Delhi Capitals and were left with 16 points from 11 games. Delhi Capitals have made a huge gain and are in fifth place with 12 points from 12 games. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli (542) remains the top-ranked and holds the Orange Cap. Mumbai Indians Jasprit Bumrah (18 wickets) is the top wicket-taker and holds the Purple Cap.
Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar bowled superb spells as the bowlers came into their own as Delhi Capitals kept alive their hopes of reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Playoffs with a 20-run win over Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday . After Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel hit 50s in contrasting fashion, while Tristan Stubbs applied finishing touches with a 20-ball 41 to propel Delhi Capitals to 221/8, Kuldeep and Mukesh bowled decisive spells of 2-25 and 2 -30 respectively to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 201/8.
The win sees DC jump to fifth place in the points table and are now level with Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings on 12 points. It is also the second time in a row that RR, despite captain Sanju Samson’s brilliant 86, have failed to complete a chase and have to wait longer to secure their place in the playoffs.
Khaleel Ahmed scored in his first over as Yashasvi Jaiswal confused a slower bouncer at mid-off. Sanju Samson upped the ante with sublime timing in his loft, drive, flat shots, punches, flicks and piercing the gaps in cover with precision to hit five fours and three sixes in the power-play.
But RR lost Jos Buttler in the last over of the six-over phase when he cut Axar Patel, meaning his catch being dropped by Tristan Stubbs was not costly for DC. With Axar and Kuldeep operating in tandem, DC forced a slowdown by giving away 25 runs in overs 7-10, although Riyan Parag managed two sixes and a four.
That effort paid off as Parag was bowled by a slower ball from Rasikh Salam, which hit the top of the stump. Samson got his fifth IPL 2024 fifty off 28 balls, clearing his front leg and hitting long-on Kuldeep for six off a free hit. Sitting right at the crease, Samson hit Rasikh for six at long off, followed by a cut and body for four and six respectively.
With 91 runs needed off 42 balls, Samson just cleaned up Ishant for four, before Shubham Dubey punched and muscled the pacer for four and six respectively to make 17 runs in the 14th over. Khaleel giving four wides in an 11-run 15th over meant the equation for RR became 63 runs off 30 balls for victory.
Samson’s beautiful knock came to an end in dramatic circumstances when Shai Hope hit a great ball, just millimeters away from Mukesh’s boundary rope. Although he went to the referee in protest, it was in vain as Samsão had to depart for 86.
From there, DC got back into the match when Shubham Dubey equalized to defeat Khaleel. Kuldeep trapped Donovan Ferreira plumb and made Ravichandran Ashwin defend in his final over. Despite a late slow penalty where DC could field just four defenders outside the 30-yard circle, Mukesh castled Rovman Powell, which was enough to give DC a crucial victory.
With IANS inputs
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