DC VS RR MATCH 56

Right then, that's all from yet another entertaining game in the 17th edition of the Indian T20 League. With this win, Delhi have toppled Lucknow and have climbed to the fifth spot. This result in Delhi sets up the rest of the week perfectly. Next up on Wednesday, the 8th of May, the 2024 Indian T20 League heads down south to Hyderabad where Hyderabad will lock horns with Lucknow. The first ball will be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but you can join us earlier for the build-up. See you then. Cheers!

Kuldeep Yadav is the PLAYER FOR THE MATCH for his brilliance with the ball. He says that the 18th over was very important and he focused on his lines and lengths against the power hitters. Adds that he had a plan for Donovan Ferreira and it was all about varying the pace. Mentions that he bowled a couple of seam-up balls to try and see what the batters were doing. Feels that he doesn't think too much because high-scoring games put pressure on the bowlers. Reckons that to read the batters intent is a big factor for any bowler.

The skipper of Delhi, Rishabh Pant says that the way pacers executed the yorkers is a positive. Mentions that the way pacers have progressed is nice to see. Shares that they try to learn from every game and it is about the process regardless of the result. Tells that he took a chance by bowling Kuldeep in the 18th over and thought that Powell would struggle against him. Further adds that he is glad that Kuldeep delivered. Reckons that the score they got was par and wanted to delay the decision with the Impact Player for as much as possible.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Mukesh Kumar is up for a chat. He says that he wanted to bowl dots in the final over. Adds that he always backs his strengths and is confident in using different variations. Feels that it was a 210-220 run pitch and says that it was important to win this game.

The captain of Rajasthan, Sanju Samson says that they had it in their hands and it was an achievable target. Adds that his team is doing both things well and feels that the target was 10 runs high. Reckons that he wanted the last couple of overs to go better while bowling. Says that they have lost three games but all have been tight and feels that they should be able to comeback strongly. Credits Stubbs for taking on Sandeep Sharma and Chahal in the death overs.

Earlier in the game, after calling it right, Sanju Samson opted to follow the prevailing trend of captains choosing to bowl first in Delhi, despite teams batting first emerging victorious in the previous three games. As he has done all season, Jake Fraser threw caution to the wind right from the outset and blazed his way to a 19-ball fifty. Despite losing Shai Hope first and then Axar Patel, Abishek Porel ensured that the Delhi innings did not lose steam and soon brought up his first fifty of the season. However, with Porel and Rishabh Pant departing in quick succession and with Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal applying pressure, it appeared that Delhi might struggle to capitalise on the latter part of the innings. Tristan Stubbs stepped up to the plate, and with valuable contributions from Gulbadin Naib, Rasikh Dar, and Kuldeep Yadav, Delhi ended with 221 on the board, the lowest first-innings total at Delhi this season. For Rajasthan, Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 3 for 24 from his four overs. Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma and Yuzvendra Chahal had wicket apiece but were on the expensive side.

Yet another run chase where Rajasthan seemed to have had the game under control but just could not get the job done. With 222 runs to get, Rajasthan were dealt an early blow in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal. While Jos Buttler struggled during his short stay at the crease, Sanju Samson made his intentions clear straightaway and gave his side the Powerplay they were after. Samson and Parag batted sensibly against the Delhi spin duo and kept the scoreboard ticking. Parag perished in his quest to take Rasikh Dar on, resulting in the arrival of Shubham Dubey. Samson soon turned the heat on as he struck boundaries with regularity and found an able alley in Shubham Dubey. Rajasthan lost Samson at an inopportune time to a brilliant catch at the fence by Shai Hope, a decision that was referred to the third umpire and it could have gone either way, but they still had two power-hitters, Donovan Ferreira and Rovman Powell left in the shed. Donovan could not do much and it left Powell with too much to do, who perished in the final over.

Delhi returns to winning ways with a hard-fought win! A 20-run victory for Rishabh Pant and Co. and that helps them grab two crucial points. Delhi join the mid-table muddle where Chennai, Hyderabad, and Lucknow sit with 12 points, albeit Delhi have played one game more than others. Despite having a daunting total, Delhi needed a strong start with the ball. Khaleel Ahmed gave them just that before Axar Patel got into the act. Having leaked more runs than they would have liked in the first six overs, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav pulled it back a bit by stringing dots. Delhi were not allowed to breathe freely as Samson took them to the cleaners and put them under the pump. Despite dismissing the two set batters, the game was far from over. Rishabh Pant held Kuldeep Yadav back for one over and handed him the ball in the 18th over. It proved to be a turning point in the game as Kuldeep went bang, bang in that over to turn the tide in his side's favor. Rasikh Dar and Mukesh Kumar then held their nerves and closed out the game for Delhi.

Delhi wins the game by 20 runs! Mukesh Kumar goes full and on the sticks. Trent Boult digs it out back to the bowler.

Sticks to the good length and keeps it on middle. Avesh Khan pulls it to long on and runs a single.

FOUR! GOOD SHOT! A juicy full toss outside off. Avesh Khan slaps it past mid off. The ball bounces off to the fence for four runs. 200 on the board now for Rajasthan but it would be in a losing cause.

On a length and over off. Avesh Khan pulls it to deep mid-wicket and runs a brace. Now Mukesh Kumar just needs to make sure he bowls all legal deliveries.

Avesh Khan is in at number 10.

OUT! CASTLED! That should do it for Delhi! He nails the yorker on the off pole. Rovman Powell tries to pick it up and send it over the fence but gets beaten completely. The ball crashes into the off stump and Powell has to walk back.

On a length and on middle. Trent Boult gets the inner edge and the ball hits his body. It dies down on the track and the batters run a single.

Delhi have been penalised for slow over rate and therefore, they will be allowed only 4 fielders outside the 30-yard circle for the last over. Mukesh Kumar has been handed the task of bowling the final over.