The Delhi crowd at the jam-packed Arun Jaitley Stadium went bonkers on May 7th, 2024, as their boys, the Delhi Capitals (DC), flattened the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-scoring match.
Opting to chase, RR’s bowlers were left scratching their heads after a DC batting masterclass.
Openers Prithvi Shaw, looking sharp with his new haircut that seemed to give him superhuman reflexes, and David Warner, whose bat sounded like a thunderstorm with every swing, blazed away for a quickfire 78-run partnership. Shaw, after a well-played 42, unfortunately, got caught at the deep square leg boundary – a real heartbreaker for the young gun. But Warner, on fire these days, continued his rampage, smashing a breathtaking 67 before the keeper, diving like a superhero, snagged him behind the stumps.
The DC middle order wasn’t about to let the party fizzle out. Captain Rishabh Pant, known for his fearless batting, played a mature captain’s knock, anchoring the innings with a crucial 38. The surprise package of the night was Axar Patel, who came in late and played a blinder, smashing a quickfire 22 off just 11 deliveries. The crowd went berserk as he launched the ball over long-on for a massive six that sailed into the night sky. The Delhi juggernaut ended their innings with a formidable 221 runs on the board, despite losing 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing a mountain of runs, RR needed a miracle from their openers. But their hopes were dashed as the DC bowlers had other plans. Both openers, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, were dismissed cheaply, leaving the Royals in a big hole. Sanju Samson, the RR skipper, tried his best with a fighting 47, but wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals, leaving RR’s chase in tatters.
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The experienced all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin tried his best to revive the chase with a crucial 34-run cameo lower down the order. However, it was a case of too little, too late for RR. Kuldeep Yadav, the well-deserved Man of the Match, ripped through the RR batting lineup with his exceptional bowling performance. His economical spell of 3 wickets for just 27 runs in his 4 overs effectively choked the chase and sealed a convincing victory for Delhi.
This win solidifies DC’s position as a top contender in the IPL 2024 table. They’ll be looking to keep their winning streak alive in their upcoming matches. On the other hand, RR will need to go back to the drawing board and find ways to break their losing streak.
