A clinical bowling performance — after Jos Buttler blasted a 65-ball 116 — helped Rajasthan Royals defend 222/2 against Delhi capitals to register a 15-run victory in Match 34 of the IPL 2022, at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.
Prasidh Krishna finished with 3/22 while R Ashwin ended with 2/32 as Royals weathered some anxious moments as they defended their big total to register their fifth win of the season and move to the top of the points table with 10 points, overtaking Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore on higher net run rate.
Buttler had set up the victory by stroking to his third century of IPL 2022 and Devdutt Padikkal contributed a superb 54 as Rajasthan Royals posted a massive 222/2 in 20 overs, the highest score of this season so far.
They then came back to restrict Delhi Capitals to 207-8 in 20 overs to seal the win.
Delhi came close in the chase thanks to superb innings by David Warner (28), Prithvi Shaw (37), skipper Rishabh Pant (44), and an unbeaten 15-ball 36 by Rovman Powell to come close to the target but in the end, they fell short narrowly.
Powell raised hopes for a sensational victory by hitting three sixes off the first three deliveries of the final over but he could not complete the chase of 36 off six deliveries as Delhi lost the match.
Delhi started at a brisk pace as David Warner and Prithvi Shaw raised 43 runs in the fifth over before Warner, who hammered Prasidh Krishna to two successive fours in the fifth over and had slashed Trent Boult over short third man. But Warner could not prolong his innings as he was out, offering a thick edge behind to Sanju Samson off Prasidh Krishna, trying to flick a length ball by backing away to the leg side.
Sarfaraz Khan lasted for only three deliveries, caught by Prasidh Krishna off R Ashwin, and Delhi Capitals were in trouble at 48/2 in the sixth over. Skipper Rishabh Pant joined Prithvi Shaw in the middle and they raised 51 runs for the third-wicket partnership, both of them hitting some superb shots in the process.
But the good tidings did not last long for Delhi Capitals as Shaw, who survived a difficult chance off Boult and had struck Obed McCoy for a four and six of successive deliveries in the ninth over, was out for 37 caught by Boult off Ashwin as Delhi slumped further into trouble at 99/3 in 10th over.
Skipper Rishabh Pant kept up the chase of the stiff target, hammering Riyan Parag for a couple of sixes — a thigh-high full toss posted over deep mid-wicket and a one-handed heave over long-on as Parag attempted a round-arm delivery.
He was dropped by Chahal at deep fine leg off Prasidh Krishna, his second life after Hetmyer dropped him earlier. But could not capitalize on it as he got out a ball later, caught by Padikkal off Prasidh as Delhi further slumped into the quagmire.
Lalit Yadav struck a 24-ball 37 and Rovman Powell a 15-ball 36 but in the end, Delhi Capitals fell short by 15 runs.
Powell guided the Capitals to the final over with 36 needed off six deliveries. He blasted sixes off the first three deliveries, raising hopes of hitting six sixes to seal a dramatic victory. He hammered his third six of the 20th over off a delivery that they argued should be no-ball on height. The umpires ruled it a legal delivery, leading to the Delhi Capitals bench erupting in anger, gesticulating furiously while a staff member rushed into the field to argue with the umpires. In the end, the umpires stuck to their guns.
McCoy bowled a dot ball and allowed only two runs off the fifth delivery and a dejected Powell skied the final delivery for Sanju Samson to pouch it gleefully to signal victory for Rajasthan Royals.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 222/2 in 20 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 54, Jos Buttler 116, Sanju Samson 46 not out; Mustafizur Rahman 1/43) beat Delhi Capitals 207/8 in 20 overs (David Warner 28, Prithvi Shaw 27, Rishabh Pant 44, Rovman Powell 36; Prasidh Krishna 3/22, R Ashwin 2/32) by 15 runs.
