Delhi Capitals bowlers compensated for the team’s lacklustre performance with the bat by defeating Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs in an Indian Premier League match in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. After putting on 154 for six thanks to Shreyas Iyer’s 43 and a late flourish from Shimron Hetmyer, who hit 28 runs off 16 balls, the Capitals bowling outfit held the Royals to 121 for six. Sanju Samson, Rajasthan’s captain, looked in fine form, making an unbroken 70, but the Royals’ innings lacked impetus as wickets fell at regular intervals from the other end.
Anrich Nortje (2/18), a South African pacer, led the Delhi bowlers, who bowled as a unit. Each of Avesh Khan (1/29), Kagiso Rabada (1/26), Axar Patel (1/27), and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/20) took a wicket.
The Capitals regained first place in the standings with the win, while the Royals dropped to sixth place.
Defending a modest total, pacers Khan and Nortje got the Capitals off to a flying start, dismissing both openers in the first two overs — Liam Livingstone (1) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (5).
Rishabh Pant made a bowling change, bringing in Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed the dangerous David Miller (7) to leave the Royals on the back foot at 17 for 3.
Rajasthan needed 107 runs in the last ten overs as the required run rate increased. The connection between Samson and youthful Mahipal Lomror (19) appeared to be resurrecting the innings, but the ever-reliable Rabada snuffed it out.
Riyan Parag (2) and Rahul Tewatia (9) were also unable to contribute significantly. Samson was on fire, slamming boundaries left and right, but the Delhi spinners fought back valiantly.
Mustafizur Rahman (2/22), Chetan Sakariya (2/33) and Kartik Tyagi (1/40) led the Royals pace attack with five wickets each, while spin all-rounder Rahul Tewatia (1/17) dismissed one batsman.
Tyagi, who was the star of the match against Punjab Kings, struck first with his first delivery in the fourth over, dismissing Shikhar Dhawan, the Orange Cap holder (8).
The Delhi opener attempted to bowl a long delivery, but the ball drifted back and smacked the stumps. Prithvi Shaw (10) returned to the dugout soon after, clipping the ball off Sakariya to Liam Livingstone at mid-off.
The Capitals were in a critical position at 36 runs for the loss of two wickets at the end of the powerplay.
Shreyas Iyer (43 off 32 balls) and skipper Rishabh Pant (24 off 24 balls) started to repair the damage created by the loss of the openers when spin was introduced in the seventh over.
At the massive Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the duo, who stitched a 62-run partnership, kept the clock ticking while also hitting the occasional boundaries.
In the 10th over, against left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (0/34), the elegant Iyer smashed the first maximum of the match over long off.
As the two Delhi batters regained their feet, Rahman was reintroduced to the assault, and the decision paid off immediately, as Pant’s attempt to hook the ball away resulted in an under edge.
As wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, Samson used his glove skills to stump Iyer, who failed to stretch his back foot inside the crease.
Shimron Hetmyer, who was having a good day with the bat, then upped the ante by hitting three boundaries off Tyagi in the 16th over to amass 16 runs. The big-hitting West Indian scored 28 from 16 balls, including five fours.
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