Rajasthan Royals (RR) faltered in the race to the playoffs as they lost a crucial clash in New Delhi, losing to the Delhi Capitals (DC) by 5 wickets with 4 balls to spare. RR playing after a gap of 8 days started well and looked good to go well. But they lost their way, and the Capitals pounced on it to keep their slim hopes alive for the playoffs. RR now can get to a maximum of 16 points, provided they win their remaining two games, while DC can get to a maximum of 14 points if they win their remaining game. DC’s chances are remote, but they played better last night.
There were gaping holes for the Royals, and we will try to decipher them for you here.
Losing 3 wickets in a single over, bowled by Mitchell Starc, changed the momentum of the match
RR were asked to bat first by Axar Patel, and despite losing Yashasvi Jaiswal early, the Royals were off and running thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as Dhruv Jurel dropped anchor at one end. Jurel held the innings together while Vaibhav was going great runs in the 70-run second wicket stand before Vaibhav fell. Captain Riyan Parag came and looked good to score a quickfire half-century as he added 72 runs for the third wicket with Jurel.
RR were flying high at 161/2 in 14.1 overs with 220-230 looking a possibility. Then came the turning point of the contest. Mitchell Starc, who had gone for plenty in his first spell, had the ball in hand, and he removed Riyan Parag and Donovan Ferreira off two consecutive balls to derail the innings. He was not done yet as he removed Ravi Singh after Ravi hit a boundary to get off the mark. 3 wickets in 5 balls and the match swung.
RR never really recovered from these triple strikes as the innings went into a nosedive in the last 5 overs. The middle order or lower middle order didn’t click with Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka and even Jurel in the end falling. The Royals lost 6/30 in a matter of 5-6 overs, with them going from 161/2 in 14.1 overs to 191/8 in 19.4 overs, eventually ending with 193/8 in 20 overs.
These collapses are not acceptable, and it meant that RR had a bad last 5-6 overs and just could not recover from there. RR still has time and two games to look forward to getting things right. They will face LSG on Tuesday night in Jaipur and must get the combination right and shot selection as well. The shot selection was poor, and it played into DC’s hands.
Inability to break the opening stand due to a dropped catch literally sealed the fate of the match
Defending a paltry score of 193, RR would have hoped for early wickets. But Jofra Archer started in a wayward fashion, giving away runs for fun. But the visitors had their chance in the first over. The man in-form KL Rahul came on strike and was on 0* when he flicked the ball to short fine leg, where Yash Punja dropped an absolute dolly. KL got off the mark, and Archer was heartbroken. KL went on to score a half-century and set this game up. That dropped catch was the killer.
Abishek Porel was the standout player for his half-century and took the pressure off Rahul, who rode his luck initially. The duo scored 72 in the power play overs, which was 3 fewer than RR’s 75. But the platform was set, and they put on 105 for the first wicket. Had Rahul been snaffled, who knows, DC may have felt the pinch. Abishek could play his game since he had the calm and assured Rahul at the other end. It makes a difference. Rahul and Porel put on 105 in a 194 chase, and the game was as good as over as they did it in 10 overs.
After Porel got out, RR did pick up wickets, but DC had it under control and eventually won the game. The openers laid the platform, but it was the fielding lapse from the dropped catch that cost them the game. Going forward, RR can ill afford dropped catches and misfielding, as that can come back to haunt them in close games. These are things they will have to be mindful of in their upcoming fixtures.
Tactical Mistakes and combinations expose Riyan Parag and RR management
There were a few tactical errors that Captain Riyan Parag and the team management made, which they need to be mindful of. The first one was at the toss, where we were informed that Ravindra Jadeja is not playing due to workload management. It was surprising to hear that, as RR had lots of breaks between matches. They played on May 1st, then 9th and now 17th. 3 matches in 17-18 days. Jadeja is a spinner; he does not need a workload. That was surprising, and they missed his experience in both departments in this game.
Thereafter, the utilisation of bowlers left a lot to be desired. Using Dasun Shanaka as an Impact Player is not giving the right results, as he scored 10 off 8 with the bat and picked up 1/29 with the ball in 3 overs. He was not given an over when the game was on the line with 35 off 18 balls, as the captain was not confident in his ability. That brings us to the blunder of the game.
With the game still up for grabs, Riyan Parag gave the ball to Donovan Ferreira, the part-time off-spinner, with the reasoning being two left-handers in David Miller and Axar Patel batting together. Too much obsessed with match-ups may cost Riyan and his team a play-off spot. Miller hit a maximum, and so did Axar, as 16 came off the over to bring the equation down to 19 off 12 balls, and that was the final nail in the coffin.
You cannot make so many errors on the field and get away with it. Plus, misfielding by his team was there as well. RR, who were looking good when playing in Guwahati, now need to pull up their socks as the margin of error is nil. They have to get their A-game and win in Jaipur, which they haven’t achieved this season. Parag needs to be better as a captain. He did well with the bat in hand, but was awful as captain.
What Lies Ahead
So, DC keeps its slim playoff hopes alive for now. They will have to wait and see how other results go. They will face KKR in the league’s last game on Sunday night in KKR, and the picture will be clearer by then for DC. RR has a quick turnaround as they will be back in action on Tuesday night against LSG in Jaipur before locking horns with MI in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon. Get set for the Southern Derby tonight as CSK takes on SRH in Chennai.
A win for SRH takes them and GT into the playoffs, while a win for CSK will keep CSK’s hopes alive and 3 spots open, alongside confirming RCB’s finish in the top 2. So, a lot is riding on the result of tonight’s game. SRH form team and heavy favourites. Can CSK upset the apple cards? Let’s see how things unfold in Chennai.
Also Read: DC vs RR: Mitchell Starc’s Fiery Spell Dents RR’s Play-Offs Hopes