RR's key points
In more than two weeks, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have only played two games. They are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff spots because of this, plus the fact that they lost both times. All of that could change on Sunday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru would return to the top four if they defeat Punjab Kings and then defeat Delhi Capitals (DC).
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| Ashutosh Sharma completed the Delhi Capitals' pursuit |
One benefit of taking so much time off is the opportunity to refocus. After missing RR's most recent game due to a hamstring ache, Riyan Parag is back batting in the nets. He made 90 off 50 against DC on May 1, almost doubling his season total, and he should be excited to play them again in Delhi's fantastic batting conditions.
After a bizarre season in which they scored their greatest IPL score ever, only to lose the game, and had a very varied bowling attack that frequently faltered when it mattered most, DC's chances of making the playoffs seem extremely remote. Their progress has been overshadowed by middle-order problems, Mitchell Starc's early injury and unavailability, and Kuldeep Yadav's poor form. Axar Patel's team will be eliminated from the playoff race if they lose on Sunday.
News about the team
Before this game, Parag hit the nets. He has a good chance of fitting back into the RR XII. Since there don't seem to be many possibilities for those positions, DC will probably rely on KL Rahul to carry the top order and Kuldeep Yadav to regain his rhythm.
Jaiswal needs runs
As the competition has progressed, Yashasvi Jaiswal has decreased. He scored 183 runs at an average of 91.50 in his first four innings. He has scored 132 runs at an average of 18.90 in his past seven innings. There doesn't seem to be any love lost between Jaiswal and Starc, who had a history together from the 2024–2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jaiswal smashed a first-ball six in their rematch earlier this month, but Starc dismissed him before the over was out.
A hot day with many runs
The pitch that will be used for the game should be enjoyable for batters. The first innings total has surpassed 180 in four of the previous five games played on it. When DC was bowled out for 75 against RCB last month, that was the only instance it didn't. Additionally, the team batting first has won three of the previous four games played on this surface. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 42°C, making for a very hot day.
The creation of Stubbs innings
With a strike percentage of 111 in his first ten balls, Tristan Stubbs has been among the slowest openers this season. This kind of batting is meant to give you a sense of the conditions before you start. However, Stubbs' strike rate—140 after reaching the 20-ball mark—is not particularly high, even after getting set. These figures don't reflect how good he is.
Keep an eye out for Archer vs Miller
This season, Sooryavanshi has hit the most sixes overall (40) and in the powerplay (30). The ease with which he can clear a cricket ground accounts for more than half of his total runs (440). Delhi is also a tiny cricket ground.
In the latter overs, DC is a formidable batting team. They have the second-best run-scoring rate in the league with 11.4 runs per over. Ashutosh Sharma (strike rate 219) and David Miller (strike rate 230) are crucial to this.
With Jofra Archer, who has a stellar record against Miller in all T20 cricket—two dismissals in five innings for 19 runs at a strike rate of 90, RR does have a means to lessen this circumstance.
What RR must meet to be eligible
With five defeats in their last seven games, RR's luck is undoubtedly declining. Several clubs have surpassed them on the points table as a result of the extended intervals between games. They were in third position with 12 points after their ninth game a few weeks ago, despite playing more games than the other teams. They are now fighting for their lives after falling to fifth place.
Similar to previous teams, qualification on 14 points without NRR is still feasible, but only if a number of conditions are met, such as PBKS and CSK losing all of their remaining games.
However, RR will undoubtedly qualify if they win all three. They have three games left against teams in the bottom four, including the two eliminated teams (MI and LSG), but all of those teams have won their most recent games. Additionally, following a rather laid-back schedule, they will play DC and LSG over three days (May 17 and 19) at several locations (Delhi and Jaipur), which will make things hectic for them.
What DC must meet to be eligible
If only slightly, DC's victory over PBKS kept them in the running. For them, the formula is straightforward: win their final two games by significant margins to end with 14 points, then pray that several other outcomes come together. However, their NRR, which is unquestionably the worst of all teams at -0.993, doesn't help their cause.
On May 24, DC will meet KKR in the last league stage match at Eden Gardens. We will be in for some significant surprises over the next nine days if either of those teams is still in the running by the time that game takes place.
All eyes are on Parag
Riyan Parag may be ready to play since he is shadow-batting on the field. A victory for RR tonight will greatly boost their prospects of making the playoffs, especially considering how Punjab Kings are playing RCB.
DC decided to; Jadeja rested while Parag ran for RR
Delhi Capitals choose to bowl against the Rajasthan Royals.
Axar Patel, the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC), chose to bowl first against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi because his team's chances of making the playoffs were in jeopardy.
DC made one substitution: Auqib Nabi and Adam Milne were replaced by rookie T Vijay. Axar claimed he wasn't giving the pitch much thought because it didn't have any living grass and appeared to be pretty dry.
Riyan Parag was back for RR. He claimed that because he didn't know what to do on this pitch, he was glad to lose the toss. A few adjustments were done. "Load management" prevented Ravindra Jadeja from participating. Parag remarked. He was replaced by Ravi Singh. Tushar Deshpande and Shimron Hetmyer were absent, while Adam Milne made his RR debut.
There are two square boundaries, each measuring 63 metres, and the game is being played on the central wicket. The straight line is 73 metres long.
Delhi Capitals: 1 Abishek Porel, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Sahil Parakh, 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 David Miller, 6 Axar Patel (capt), 7 Mukesh Kumar, 8 Madhav Tiwari, 9 T Vijay, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Impact Player bench: Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Vipraj Nigam, Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair
Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Ravi Singh, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Brijesh Sharma, 11 Yash Raj Punja
Impact Player bench: Dasun Shanaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Aman Rao
Jaiswal is off to take off
0 4 4 0 4 0
Mitchell Starc goes for the yorkers with the new ball. The third is overpitched, while the first two wind up as low full tosses. After taking two boundaries from them, Yashasvi Jaiswal hits a cover drive to get 12 from the over.
RR 12/0 after one
Ngidi gets Jaiswal after Sooryavanshi's first-ball six
6 1 0 0 W 0
Sighers are not necessary for Vaibhav Sooryavasnhi. Once more, he pulls Lungi Ngidi over a deep-square-leg defender by hitting the first ball he encounters for a six.
However, Ngidi then mounts a powerful comeback. Despite beating Jaiswal's inside edge, the ball somehow fails to reach the stump. He then inserts a slower ball outside off. Jaiswal tries to smash it, but the towering Starc jumps to pouch it after he gets an outside edge towards short third.
Starting at number three, Dhruv Jurel gives the keeper his first ball.
RR 19/1 following the two
The programme Sooryavanshi
Sooryavanshi is still batting without fear. Starc is initially sliced beyond the short third by him. There was enough behind it to get it to the boundary line for four, even though he didn't middle it. He pulls Starc for a six when he goes short two balls later.
Jurel makes a mistake when attempting to loft one over the covers later in the over. Madhav Tiwari chases after it and dives, but he is unable to reach it. Even worse, he pushes it closer to the barrier and farther away from him.
In the following episode, Jurel is given another life. Rahul drives full-length and gets his hand on Ngidi, but it doesn't stick despite his best efforts to guide him.
RR 40/1 following four
Vijay, a rookie, aims for 18
When offspinner T Vijay, making his debut, comes around the wicket, Sooryavasnhi punches him through covers for four. He smacks him over the covers for four more after two balls.
However, he beats Sooryavanshi in flight and causes a mistake as he tries to descend. Running back from mid-on, Rizvi slightly misjudges it and drops it. The ball moves to the boundary line by trickling away. Sooryavasnhi rocks back and hits a huge six over deep midwicket on the subsequent ball.
Next over, Jurel joins in the fun, dismissing Mukesh Kumar for 4,6,4 off consecutive balls.
RR 75/1 following the powerplay
Sooryavanshi scores 46 out of 21
Sooryavasnhi's dismissal was gentle. Madhav Tiwari's delivery was harmless, fullish on the stumps. Despite lofting it down the ground, Sooryavanshi was unable to centre it. Because of this, it lacked the necessary power and veered somewhat towards long-on. Miller sprinted to his right and used a slide to finish the catch.
The new batter is Parag.
RR 92/2 following 8
Axar participates
Axar Patel enters the game and sneaks in a six-run over as soon as there isn't a left-hand batter in the middle.
RR 98/2 following 9
Parag is given a life
The ball is short and has little speed behind it. Stubbs appears to have grabbed Parag's tennis-like forehand as he runs to his left from long-on. However, it is sent upstairs by the on-field umpire. It turns out that when Stubbs "caught" the ball, it was touching the ground, and he had no fingers underneath it. On six, Parag gets a life.
RR 104/1 following 10
Parag challenges Axar
6 0 6 1 0 0
Parag is eager to undermine Axar's approach of bowling mostly to right-handers. He barely gets past the fielder when he knocks the opening ball of the over in the direction of deep midwicket. He throws him far past the long-on boundary after two balls.
However, Axar does a good job of limiting the damage, giving up just a single in the second part of the over.
RR 117/2 following 11
Parag in top gear
0 6 4 6 6 1
Parag is working hard to keep RR in control of their own fate. He defeats Mukesh in the chase with a show of clean, blatant hitting. Five of the 19 balls he has faced have been hammered for sixes. In a 23-run over against Mukesh, he crosses the boundary line three times.
Mukesh's numbers were 2-0-40-0.
RR 140/2 following 12
For Parag, fifty
Parag took 23 balls for his fifty. In the IPL, it's his quickest.
RR is damaged by Starc's three-wicket over
When Axar turns to Starc for wickets, the fast bowler does not let him down. Parag clears to long-on when he bowls a slower ball to him, but the ball strikes the bat's toe end. Axar dives forward to finish the catch after running in from long-on. He makes 51 off of 26.
Donovan Ferreira is limited to one ball. A shortish ball is bowled at the body by Starc. Ferreira expands, but not sufficiently. Another catch is pouched by Axar.
Starc attempts a yorker to Ravi Singh for the hat-trick ball. However, the batter puts it away for four when it turns out to be a low full toss. However, Starc then inserts a ball of a slower length. Ravi swings over, but he is trapped lbw because he enters the shot far too early. He requests a review, but it is unable to reverse the ruling.
RR 166/5 following 15
Shanaka enters as an Impact Player after Dubey is dealt a cheap blow
Axar finishes 4-0-31-0, giving up just five runs in his last over. However, RR has no reprieve. Tiwari uses a short ball to catch Dubey at deep square leg. Dasun Shanaka is brought in as an Impact Player by RR in the seventeenth over.
Jurel continues to bat on 48 off 33.
RR 174/6 after 17
Starc ends up with four
Starc gets his fourth wicket of the game as Dasun Shanaka knocks a slower ball from Ngidi for a straight six but holes out to long-off in the next over. From around the wicket, it was a low full toss. Shanaka was captured at long range despite his attempt to go large.
Starc's final score is 4 for 40.
RR 188/7 following 19
DC limits RR to 193 for eight
In the twentieth over, Ngidi gives up just five runs. Additionally, he traps Jurel for 53 off 40 lbw. Jurel appeared to be limping after exiting. Since Jurel must also keep wicket, RR will hope it's nothing major.
While RR scores just 33 in the final six to finish at 193 for 8, Ngidi ends with 2 for 24 from his four overs.
Rahul is given a life on zero
To maintain their slender chances of qualifying for the playoffs, DC needs 194. They need 189 from 20 since Archer starts with a massive wide down the leg side.
By leaking KL Rahul's opening ball, RR doesn't help themselves. On the pads, it was a full ball. Punja grassed it after Rahul flicked it directly to him at the short, fine leg. Archer should have had another first-over wicket because it was a really simple opportunity. Porel squeezes the next delivery through the cover point for four to add insult to injury.
DC 14/0 following one
DC is up fifty in four overs
There are plenty of boundaries thanks to Porel and Rahul. In the second over, there were five overthrows and one four. In the third, Archer gave up a six and a four, and in the fourth, Porel hit consecutive fours with Brijesh.
Rahul is 16 off 10, while Porel is 27 off 14.
DC 50/0 following the four
DC 72 in power play for nothing
With a vicious liftoff, Milne over deep midwicket for six, Rahul keeps DC rolling. Porel hits two fours off the final two balls in the next over, while Brijesh concedes just four singles off the first four balls. The second is a back-foot punch through covers off a length ball, while the first is a draw off a slower ball.
DC is now at 72 for 0. To put things in perspective, RR was 75/1 after six.
The innings' first over without a boundary
Parag switches to spin in the shape of Punja after Shanaka is dismissed for 13 in the seventh over. The towering legspinner gives up just four singles in a quiet over. It's actually the innings' first over without a boundary.
DC is still ahead.
DC 89/0 following 8
Porel is fifty and out
Rahul makes sure Punja no longer sets the terms. He smacks him for a straight six after stepping out to the opening ball of the tenth over.
After reaching his fifty off 29 balls later in the over, Porel pulls out a fresh celebration. He lifts his bat and rolls the grip halfway down the handle.
However, he collapses in the very next over. He finishes up skying a slower ball to long-on while attempting to go big against Brijesh. The new hitter is another left-hander, Sahil Parakh.
DC 105/1 following 10.1
Rahul is fifty, but DC is slowing down
Rahul scored more than fifty in the IPL. This makes him the fifth batter to do so. The others are Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli. This is the whole list.
Rahul also reaches fifty off thirty-four balls. However, DC has slowed down considerably during the past several overs. They have only scored 36 for the loss of one wicket in the last five overs.
DC 121/1 after 12. They require 73 out of 8.
Archer wins Parakh
Parakh cannot keep up with Archer's speed. He starts by using a short-of-good-length delivery to rough him up. It's a solid length for the next ball. After backing away and charging at him, Parakh gives the keeper an outside edge.
The Archer is only two runs away. The new hitter is another left-hander, Axar Patel.
DC needs 71 out of 7.
Rahul chops on
KL Rahul is taken out by Shanaka. The hitter attempted to cut a length ball, but he chopped it onto his stumps because it was too close to him. For 56 off 42, he walks back.
Maintaining the left-right pair, Tristan Stubbs enters. Axar hits a crucial six to end the over.
Meanwhile, Ravi Singh is off the field due to a hamstring injury. Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal are already in the dugout.
DC requires 52 out of 5.
RR's careless fielding
Jurel's reckless throw on the final ball of the fifteenth over gives DC an overthrow. Axar and Stubbs score three after Parag misfields at mid-off in the subsequent over. From the dugout, the camera turns to Sangakkara, who is cursing and furious.
By sending Stubbs back, Archer offers some respite. The batter attempted a lap shot but ultimately skied it in the direction of fine leg. Returning to the pitch, Jaiswal rushes in and handles it with ease.
Miller enters the game when DC needs 41 runs in 22 balls.
Ferreira's gamble backfires
Parag brings on Ferreira when three overs are required to reach 35. The reasoning behind it is clear: toss the ball to the offspinner with two left-handed batters in the centre. Ferreira isn't a typical spinner, though. In addition, he hasn't bowled yet tonight. Parag, however, takes a chance. It also backfires. Miller and Axar each score a six, and the total is 16.
Ashutosh puts DC ahead while Brijesh gets Miller
Miller is caught at deep midwicket by Brijesh when 19 runs are needed in two overs. It was a slower ball from around the wicket that was hit with the back of the hand. Miller attempted to pull but was unable to centre it.
As an Impact Player, Ashutosh Sharma enters. He takes Mukesh Kumar's position and knocks a six with his second delivery over deep midwicket. Ashutosh attempts a dangerous single while RR misses a direct hit off the final ball.
DC requires seven out of six balls. Additionally, RR's slow over rate means they have one fewer fielder outside the 30-yard circle.
DC maintains its chances of making the playoffs
Ashutosh finishes it with just two balls. Ashutosh chips Milne over mid-off for four when he initially goes full. Ashutosh drags him over his deep square leg when he goes short. He celebrates by spreading his arms after finishing on 18 off just five. Conversely, Axar remains in the game on 34 off 18.
DC's victory keeps them in the running for the playoffs. However, RR's path becomes challenging.
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