The match went down to the final over with just nine runs needed off six balls. With wickets in hand, the chase seemed manageable, but Mitchell Starc’s pinpoint execution dragged the game into a Super Over as the scores were tied at 188. Starc returned to bowl the Super Over for Delhi Capitals, conceding only 11 runs and setting up a relatively simple target. KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs chased it down with two balls to spare, handing Rajasthan Royals their fifth defeat of the season.
Sanju Samson’s untimely injury hurt RR as he had got a start and could've played an important role in the run chase. Set batters — Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana — getting out after reaching their respective fifties also didn't help RR’s cause.
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There had been plenty of chatter around Jaiswal’s strike-rate this season and he responded with intent, starting aggressively to give the Royals a flying start. Alongside Samson, he stitched together a 61-run partnership for the opening wicket. Samson had a stroke of luck early on when Ashutosh Sharma dropped a high catch, but his innings was cut short after he picked up a side strain while attempting a cut shot, forcing him to leave the field.
DC's spinners then tightened the screws, slowing down RR’s scoring. Jaiswal continued to take calculated risks and reached his half-century, but was soon outfoxed by Kuldeep Yadav. That breakthrough came at a crucial time, with Riyan Parag struggling to find any rhythm at the crease. Parag’s scratchy stay eventually ended when Axar Patel claimed his first wicket.
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Nitish injected momentum into the innings, attacking the bowlers and lifting the run-rate. He shared a valuable 49-run stand with Dhruv Jurel, who played a supporting role. Nitish got to his second fifty of the season. However, much like the rest, Jurel struggled to time the ball on a sluggish surface. Starc’s searing in-swinging yorker got the better of a well-set Nitish. The pressure was back on the Royals. In the penultimate over, Mohit Sharma conceded 14 runs. Then came Starc’s match-defining final over and the following Super Over.
Earlier in the match, Jake Fraser-McGurk hit a couple of crisp boundaries but once again threw his wicket away. Trying to smash Jofra Archer over the ropes, he mistimed a lofted shot and was caught, extending his disappointing run of form. All eyes then turned to Karun Nair, but a mix-up with Abishek Porel led to a run-out. A dive could have saved him, but he chose not to attempt one.
Porel, who had got off to a solid start, joined forces with Rahul to steady the innings. Though he began briskly, the slowing pitch hampered his scoring tempo. Even Rahul, in good recent form, found it hard to time his shots, and boundaries dried up.
As the surface continued to slow down, the pacers began taking the pace off the ball, which proved effective. Archer returned to dismiss Rahul, and in the next over, Wanindu Hasaranga got rid of Porel just short of his half-century.
However, Axar, Stubbs, and Ashutosh stepped up at the death, adding a crucial 77 runs in the final five overs. Axar and Stubbs, in particular, executed the big shots on a slow pitch in order to propel DC to a competitive total.
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