IPL: Rajasthan Royals down Delhi Capitals, win second successive match
Rajasthan Royals downed Delhi Capitals in match number nine of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season on Thursday in Jaipur. RR went on to move from 58/3 from 10 overs to 185/5. Riyan Parag made his presence felt with an unbeaten 84. DC remained in the hunt and needed 17 from the final over, but Avesh Khan conceded only four (173/5).
How did the match pan out?
RR were off to a poor start and DC had the bases covered. RR were 36/3 before Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin stitched a crucial 54-run stand. Key contributions from Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer helped Parag, whose whirlwind hitting in the final over helped RR surpass 180. In response, Avesh bowled excellently at the death to stop DC from claiming victory.
Nice build-up from Parag
Parag walked in when RR were 30/2. Soon after, the side lost Jos Buttler (36/3). Parag and Ashwin then built the innings. Ashwin (29) was more of an aggressor in the 54-run stand. Parag, who was batting on 26 from 26 balls, broke loose in the 15th over, attacking Khaleel Ahmed. Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav were dispatched next as runs came flowing.
Nortje was punished in the 20th over
DC pacer Anrich Nortje was belted for 25 runs in the final over. Parag dispatched the South African fast bowler by slamming three fours and two sixes. Nortje finished with 1/48 from his four overs.
Third IPL fifty from Parag's blade
Parag's 84* was laced with seven fours and six maximums (SR: 186.87). He made his IPL debut in 2019. Since then, the promising middle order batter has racked up 727 runs from 56 matches at 19.13. He owns a strike rate of 130.29. Parag has slammed three IPL fifties to date with the 84* now being his best score.
Parag shines on his 100th T20 appearance
22-year-old Parag played his 100th T20 match. He has raced to 2,170 runs at an average of over 30. He owns 19 fifties. This is now his best T20 score as well, beating the previous best of an unbeaten 77.
Warner races past 650 IPL fours
David Warner scored 49 from 34 balls. He hit five fours and three sixes. Warner's strike rate was 144.12. The Australian batter now owns 6,475 IPL runs at 41.5 (SR: 139.93). Warner has raced to 231 IPL sixes and 654 fours. As per ESPNcricinfo, in 16 matches versus the Royals, Warner owns 583 runs at 38.86 (SR: 128.13).
Pant scores 28 in his 100th IPL appearance
Pant managed 28 from 26 balls in his 100th IPL appearance. He smashed two fours and a six (SR: 107.69). The southpaw has raced to 2,884 IPL runs at 34.33 (SR: 147.36). The Indian wicketkeeper-batter recently returned to competitive cricket after recovering from the injuries he suffered during a fatal car crash. Pant's comeback match saw him score 18(13) against the Punjab Kings.
First DC player with 100 IPL appearances
Pant is the first DC player with 100 IPL appearances. Amit Mishra, who plays for LSG, made 99 appearances for the Capitals. Current KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer is next with 87 appearances.
Chahal races to 190 IPL wickets
Yuzvendra Chahal bowled three overs for just 19 runs. He picked up a brace. Playing his 147th IPL match, the former RCB bowler has raced to 190 wickets. Chahal's average is 21.57 and his economy rate is 7.66. In 19 matches versus the Capitals, Chahal owns 22 scalps at 24.22. He matched the wickets tally of Lasith Malinga and Sunil Narine versus DC.
Avesh steps up and delivers
Avesh finished with 1/29 from his four overs. Notably, he bowled the 18th and 20th overs respectively. Avesh conceded nine runs in the 18th over and then defended his side's total in the final over by giving away four singles.
Tristan Stubbs scores 44* for DC
Tristan Stubbs kept DC in the contest with a promising knock. However, he faced only two deliveries in the final over, deriving two singles to finish on 44* from 23 balls. He hit two fours and three sixes (SR: 191.30).
