TATA IPL 2024: DC Bolsters Playoff Hopes with 20-Run Victory Over Rajasthan
Kuldeep Yadav and Mukesh Kumar delivered outstanding performances with the ball as Delhi Capitals revived their chances of making it to the playoffs of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, clinching a 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Following Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel's contrasting yet impactful half-centuries, Tristan Stubbs' quickfire 41 off 20 balls powered Delhi Capitals to a competitive total of 221/8. In response, Kuldeep and Mukesh shone with crucial spells, claiming two wickets each for 25 and 30 runs respectively, restricting Rajasthan Royals to 201/8.
The victory propels DC to fifth place in the points table, now level with Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Chennai Super Kings, all at 12 points. This marks the second consecutive occasion where RR, despite a stellar 86 from captain Sanju Samson, fell short in a chase, prolonging their wait to secure a Playoff berth. Khaleel Ahmed made an impact in his very first over, inducing Yashasvi Jaiswal to mistime a slower bouncer to mid-off. Sanju Samson showcased exceptional timing with his lofted shots, drives, flat-batted smashes, punches, flicks, and precise gap-hitting through cover, accumulating five fours and three sixes during the power-play.
But RR lost Jos Buttler in the last over of the six-over phase, as he chopped onto his stumps off Axar Patel, meaning his catch being dropped by Tristan Stubbs didn’t become costly for DC. With Axar and Kuldeep operating in tandem, DC forced a slowdown by giving 25 runs in overs 7-10, though Riyan Parag got two sixes and a four.
That effort paid off as Parag was castled by a slower ball from Rasikh Salam which hit the top of off-stump. Samson went on to get his fifth IPL 2024 fifty in 28 balls by clearing his front leg and smacking Kuldeep over long-on for six off a free hit. Sitting deep in the crease, Samson hit Rasikh for six over long-on, followed by cutting and muscling him for four and six respectively.
With 91 runs required from 42 balls, Samson managed to clear cover off Ishant for a boundary, followed by Shubham Dubey's aggressive hitting, fetching four and six off the same bowler, accumulating 17 runs in the 14th over. However, Khaleel's four wides in the 15th over, yielding 11 runs, adjusted the equation for RR to 63 runs needed off 30 balls for victory. Samson's impressive innings came to an end dramatically when Shai Hope took an outstanding catch at long-on, just inches away from the boundary rope off Mukesh. Despite Samson's protest to the umpire, it was futile as he had to depart for 86.
Following that, DC regained control of the match as Shubham Dubey was caught at long-on off Khaleel's bowling. Kuldeep Yadav then secured Donovan Ferreira's wicket with a plumb lbw decision and induced Ravichandran Ashwin to hole out to long-on in his last over. Despite a slow-over rate penalty in the final over, which saw DC fielding only four players outside the 30-yard circle, Mukesh Kumar dismantled Rovman Powell's stumps, securing a crucial victory for DC.
