JAIPUR: With the help of Riyan Parag’s blistering innings Rajasthan Royals registered their second victory in the Indian Premier League 2024 as they beat Delhi Capitals by 12 runs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Thursday night.
After scoring a challenging total 185 runs, Rajasthan Royals restricted the visitors at 173 in allotted overs.
Delhi Capitals lost Mitchell Marsh (23) in the fourth over while Ricky Bhui went back in the same over when the score was 30. David Warner and captain Rishav Pant added 67 runs from 46 balls. The veteran Aussie went back after scoring 49 runs from 34 balls.
South African young star Tristan Stubbs tried hard in the later part of the innings. He scored 17 runs from R Ashwin’s over which was 17th of the innings.
They required 32 runs from last two overs. Stubbs hit 10 runs from first two balls off Sandeep Sharma. Finally DC needed 17 from the final over. Pacer Avesh Khan bowled brilliantly and conceded only 4 runs to ensure the victory. Stubbs remained unbeaten at 44 from 23 balls.
Earlier, Riyan Parag struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to single-handedly take Rajasthan Royals to 185 for 5.
Electing to bowl first, the fast-bowling pair of Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar got swing and seam and also used the angles well with the new ball for DC to win the Power-play. Yashasvi Jaiswal drove Mukesh for a crisp four, but the pacer bounced back with the one that seamed-in to go past Jaiswal’s clip and flatten the off-stump.
Sanju Samson was watchful, before steering, pulling and punching to take three fours off Mukesh in the fourth over. Khaleel was handed his third over inside the Power-play and the move paid off as he cramped Samson for room with a well-directed short ball, which the batter had to slash behind to Pant, as RR made 31/2 in the six-over phase.
The 22-year-old from Assam Riyan, who made 43 in Royals' previous match, took 25 runs off South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score. His knock was studded with seven fours and six sixes.
Riyan held the home side's innings together after they were invited to bat first. He shared 54 and 52 runs respectively with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20) after RR made a shaky start.
RR promoted Ashwin as the pinch-hitter, and he began by dancing down the pitch against Kuldeep to smack a six over long-on. He gave further impetus to RR’s innings by pulling Nortje for two sixes, before hitting straight to deep mid-wicket off Axar to fall for 29 off 19 balls.
Ashwin’s brief counterattack allowed Parag to get over his slow start by tearing into Khaleel –- a pick-up six over backward square-leg for six, followed by slicing and lofting to get back-to-back fours. He would flick Mukesh for four, before getting his fifty in 34 balls with a flat hit over long-off for six, continuing his good run in the tournament so far.
Jurel hit three boundaries to be Parag’s perfect partner in a 52-run stand off 23 balls for the fifth wicket before the former paddled a pacy delivery from Nortje to his stumps. Hetmyer hit a six and four on Mukesh’s missed yorkers before Parag turned the heat in the final over against Nortje in a stunning exhibition of stroke play.
Parag edged a four between Pant and short third-man, before nailing the pull between mid-wicket and mid-on for another boundary. He then lofted over long-off for six and opened the bat face late to get another edged four. Parag would leave people in awe by pulling a 144 kph delivery for six to take 25 runs off the final over and take RR past the 180-run mark.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 185/5 in 20 overs (Riyan Parag 84 not out, R Ashwin 29; Axar Patel 1-21, Khaleel Ahmed 1-24) beat Delhi Capitals 173/5 in 20 overs (David Warner 49, Mitchell Marsh 23, Rishav Pant 28, Tristan Stubbs 44no, Yuzvendra Chahal 2/19, Mandre Burger 2/29). Agencies
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