Delhi Capitals continued their charge towards securing a playoff berth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a 20-run victory over Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.
Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson's valiant 86 went in vain as Delhi managed to defend their imposing total of 221-8 at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
The stage was set for a thrilling encounter as both teams were battling fiercely to bolster their playoff prospects. Delhi's innings was propelled by the explosive batting of Jake Fraser-McGurk, who notched a blistering 50 off just 20 balls, and Abishek Porel's 65.
Despite a promising start to their chase, Rajasthan's hopes were dashed after the dismissal of Samson, whose fifth half-century of the season provided a glimmer of hope for his side. Reflecting on the match, Samson said, "We had it in our hands... but these things happen in the IPL."
With eight wins from 11 matches, Rajasthan remains in contention for a top-two finish in the league standings, trailing only Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, Delhi's relentless pursuit for a playoff spot saw them deliver a clinical performance with both bat and ball.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav proved to be instrumental in Delhi's victory, returning impressive figures of 2-25, while pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar also chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.
The win was set up by Fraser-McGurk and Porel's aggressive opening partnership of 60 runs. After their departure, Rajasthan lost wickets, but a late charge by Tristan Stubbs, scoring 41 off 20 balls, propelled them to 221-8. Stubbs received support from Gulbadin Naib, who contributed 19, and Rasikh Salam, hitting two sixes in his nine runs, as Delhi gathered 53 runs in the last three overs.
Samson, who has been in top form with 459 runs, tried to lead the chase but was dismissed in the 16th over by Kumar, caught by Shai Hope. Despite Hope's foot being parallel to the boundary rope, the third umpire ruled it out, leading to Samson's disappointment as he walked back after a discussion with the on-field officials.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led Rajasthan's bowling attack with figures of 3-24.
The match also witnessed a historic milestone as Yuzvendra Chahal became the first Indian cricketer to claim 350 wickets in T20 cricket.
(AFP)
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