Captain Riyan Parag came back into form with his 90 off 50 balls as the captain showed what he is made of and played a great innings. Donovan Ferreira played the perfect role of a finisher with his 47 off 14 balls while Jurel made 42 off 30 balls alongside Ravindra Jadeja on 20* off 14 balls. For DC, Mitchell Starc was the star with 3 wickets but the others went the distance.
DC removes both the openers in power play before Riyan Parag takes charge in an exciting phase
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out to bat for RR while Mitchell Starc is back and started proceedings for DC. Starc was welcomed by Jaiswal with the maximum over deep square leg to get himself going. Starc hit back and got Jaiswal run out for 6 off 3 balls with one six to his name with a full toss which he hit it back in the air and the catch was completed by the bowler. Dhruv Jurel came out to bat next.
Kyle Jamieson had the ball in hand from the other end. Vaibhav came on strike and drilled it hard past the bowler down the ground to the bowler’s right for a boundary. Jamieson hit back and got rid of the young man for 4 off 2 balls with a boundary to his name as the yorker was nailed as the batter failed to get his bat down in time. Captain Riyan Parag came out to bat next.
Starc continued as Jurel got forward and top of the bounce which he drives it crisply past the diving cover fielder for a boundary. Parag got into the act as he rocked back and muscled it over midwicket for a boundary. Jamieson continued as Jurel showed great timing with a flick off the pads to deep square leg for a boundary. Captain Axar Patel came onto bowl next inside the power play. Jurel rocked back and cut the ball past deep point for a boundary. Axar wasted a DRS against Parag and lost the review.
Jamieson continued to bowl the last over of power play. Parag welcomed Jamieson by clearing his front leg and whacked it across the line over deep midwicket fence for the maximum. Parag continued to hammer the bowlers as he next hit Jamieson with an edge that flew away past the keeper and away to third man fence. Parag went big again as he stepped down and made room on the leg side to go inside out over extra cover for the maximum.
The 50 came up for the Royals in 5.3 overs. RR were56/2 in 6 overs of power play with Parag unbeaten on 25 off 16 balls alongside Jurel unbeaten on 21 off 15 balls. The match was evenly poised at this stage.
Dhruv Jurel falls after a start, but Riyan Parag keeps RR ahead in the innings in the middle phase of the game
Axar Patel came back into the attack. Axar Patel came and rotated the bowlers efficiently. Jurel pressed forward and sees the length early. He dabbed it between backward point and short third man. Axar took care of him as the ball went away to the fence for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Kuldeep Yadav came back into the action next. Kuldeep bowled a world-class spell. But towards the end, the finishing kick was reserved for him.
Axar continued for the 9th over as Parag took him on to swing straight and hit it towards long-on down the ground. Parag went big again as he cleared his front leg and swung across the line over 92 metres over deep midwicket for the maximum. RR were 85/2 in 9 overs when we paused for the Strategic Time Out. Kuldeep Yadav continued and bowled a tight over as RR reached 91/2 in 10 overs.
T Natarajan came into the attack next. Parag brought his fifty in 32 balls. Parag hammered the ball through extra covers as the ball races away to the fence at extra cover. The 100 came up in 10.5 overs, Parag was on strike next as the groom did not try to change direction. It was said that the voters faught for Congress as he got the Player of the Match award.
Axar came back into the attack next. Jurel joined in the fun as the full delivery outside the off-stump as the bowler danced it down the trick and slammed it down the ground for the maximum. The 100-run stand is up between the two players. Axar breaks the stand and has the last laugh as he removed Jurel for 42 off 30 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name. Ravindra Jadeja came back to bat as well.
Jadeja got off the mark as well. Natarajan continued and bowled another good over. Kuldeep came back into the attack as Parag smashed it away past the long-on fielder for a boundary. Natarajan continued as Parag drills it back past the bowler for a couple of runs. Jadeja got into the act as he smashed it clearly over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Parag then drilled the ball down the ground past long-off for a boundary to end the over. RR reached 147/3 in 15 overs with Parag unbeaten on 77 off 46 balls while Jadeja was unbeaten on 14 off 10 balls.
Donovan Ferreira’s whirlwind finish powers RR to 225/6 in 20 overs
Kyle Jamieson came back into the attack as Parag used his pace and help it on its way through long leg for a boundary. The 150 came up for Royals in 15.2 overs. Parag waited for it and ramped it off the keeper for a boundary. Parag hit another boundary as he flicked it aerially and hammered it over short fine leg and deep backward point. Mitchell Starc returned in the series. Jadeja arched back and played late as he opened the bat face and chopped it using the pace of the bowler to short third man.
Starc came back and removed Jadeja for 20 off 14 balls with one four and one six to his name. Donovan Ferreira came out to bat next. Ferreira got off the mark as well. Starc hit back and put on a back of the length pitch into the pitch. He miscued it to Axar as Starc gets another. Shubham Dubey came out to bat next as Dubey took advantage of lack of planning by MI by driving the ball through extra cover for a boundary.
Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack. Ferreira lunged forward and launched it over covers for the maximum with an inside out shot. Ferreira went big again as he cleared his front leg and went hard down the ground for the maximum. Ferreira tore apart Kuldeep as he now slog swept it hard over deep midwicket for the maximum. Starc came back to bowl his final over now bowling. Ferreira stayed leg side of the ball and opened the bat face and reached for it and opened the bat face and reached for it. He sliced it to deep backward point. The 200 came up in 18.5 overs for RR. Ferreira took on Starc and deposited it away and went room to go inside over covers for the maximum.
Natarajan bowled his overs as Dubey got dismissed for 6 off 6 balls with one six to his name as the batter miscued the ball straight to the fielder. Jofra Archer came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Ferreira dragged the slower ball to forward square leg for a boundary. Ferreira went big by going down on one knee and cleared his front leg to hammer it down the ground for the maximum. Ferreira finished things off in style. Torrential rain is falling in Kandy and we have been extremely lucky with the weather so far.
Ferreira was unbeaten on 47 off 14 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes to his name while Archer remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. RR finished with 225/6 in 20 overs. 9 extras given by the fielding side. Mitchell Starc was back and how as he picked up 3/40 in 4 overs. Kyle Jamieson finished with 1/48 in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 1/39 in 4 overs. T Natarajan finished with 1/54 in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav went for 41 runs in 4 overs. The DC side looks weak on performance nowadays. This meant the target for DC was 226 for the win in 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, RR or DC?Â
RR has done well to post above 220 runs on a sporting pitch. DC now has to bowl well to win this game. If they bowl at the right areas, then it will be hard for Delhi. The Capitals need a fast start and big partnership to pressure on MI. Gujarat has to be careful and bowling well. An interesting chase coming our way now.
Also Read:Â RR vs DC: Ravichandran Ashwin Backs Under Fire Coach Hemang Badani