Wednesday’s most dramatic moments of reverse came late in the game, though, when Mitchell Starc swung the contest in DC’s direction over the course of three overs.
First, with RR needing 31 off 18, the left-arm quick Mitchell Starc conceded just eight runs in the 18th over and dismissed half-centurion Nitish Rana with a wickedly tailing yorker; an inside edge off the next ball saved Shimron Hetmyer from being bowled by a similar delivery. Then, with RR needing nine off the last over, Mitchell Starc forced the game into a Super Over, curtailing Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel with ball after ball speared into the base of the stumps and landing there or thereabouts with late bend in its path.
Quite naturally, DC entrusted Mitchell Starc with the Super Over, and once again he showed an unwavering faith in the yorker. Despite bowling a no-ball when he cut the return crease while going round the wicket to the right-handed Riyan Parag, he kept RR to 11 runs, and induced enough panic for them to lose both their wickets to run-outs with a ball left unused. DC chased down their target in just four balls, and a match that had seemed lost was theirs, moving them back to the top of the IPL table with five wins from six games.
Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals in a Super Over on a thrilling night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Royals were cruising home at one point following half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana but a brilliant final over from Mitchell Starc dragged the contest into a Super Over, which DC eventually clinched. The hosts have now won five out of six games to jump to the top of the standings, currently being the only team on 10 points.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : Dimensions – 61m to the right and 62m to the left, 72m straight. Not a great place to be a bowler. It is a nice surface, we saw in the last game as well when 205 runs were scored. It is a bit drier today so it gives the bowlers enough assistance. There’s decent grass cover but it is a bit patchy.
The average winning score last season was 230, but this surface will give the bowlers a little more grip for the spinners and the quick bowlers with their change-ups. Looks like an even surface that gives the bowlers a little bit and the batters a little bit as well. But because of the dimensions, there are a few more challenges for the bowlers reckons Graeme Swann and Shane Watson
Toss : Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bowl with no changes in the playing XI. Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel batting first also made no changes in the playing XI with Faf Du Plessis still not available to play.
Abhishek Porel and late hitting from Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs powers DC to 188 in 20 overs
After a first-ball duck in his last outing , it was Jake Fraser-McGurk who got the ball rolling for the Capitals with two boundaries in the first over. He punished Jofra Archer for overpitching outside off. Fraser-McGurk’s partner, Abhishek Porel dispatched Tushar Deshpande with disdain in the following over worth 23 runs. Porel attacked everything Deshpande threw at him including full-tosses, length balls and a short delivery lacking any pace as the over went for four boundaries and a six.
But McGurks’ torrid season continued as he played yet another ugly hack and holed out at cover. Karun Nair, following his 89, was anticlimactically run-out for a duck after a mix-up with Porel. He had a chance to put a dive in but was inches short of making his ground. Maheesh Theekshana and Sandeep Sharma bowled a couple of quiet overs to close out the PowerPlay.
DC lost Jake Fraser-McGurk and Karun Nair early. Fraser-McGurk holed out to mid-off, and Nair, fresh off an IPL high score in his comeback game, was run out for a three-ball duck after being roughed up by two Jofra Archer short balls. Before that, Abhishek Porel picked 23 off the second over, by Tushar Deshpande, to get going.
After two quick wickets in the PowerPlay, the Capitals were more reserved in their approach with KL Rahul and Porel looking to forge a partnership of note. Rahul deposited Deshpande to the stands but the wily leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga bowled it slower through the air as the ball began to hold a touch on the surface.
The runs continued to dry up as the Sri Lankan spinners bowled in tandem with Hasaranga turning to his googlies. Porel finally got hold off a googly and cut it for four while Rahul punished a fuller delivery from Theekshana to the stands as the left-right duo brought up the 50-partnership.
Following a quiet over from Riyan Parag, Archer turned to the slower deliveries and dismissed KL Rahul for the first time in IPL history. Porel was given a reprieve after the fielders didn’t pick up an edge off a bouncer to the ‘keeper. But it did no harm to the tourists as he fell off the next ball against Hasaranga.
Rahul was cautious to begin with, the slowness of the surface making it tough for stroke making. At one stage, he was on 17 off 18 but couldn’t quite push on – eventually falling for a 32-ball 38 when he pulled Archer to deep midwicket. Porel, too, struggled to bring out the big hits after his turbocharge, eventually falling for 49. Fortunately for DC, Axar injected momentum that Stubbs carried forward to give them a total to bowl at, which they defended in the end courtesy Starc’s mastery.
Led by Axar Patel (34 off 14), the Capitals’ immediately shifted gears from the 16th over. The southpaw took on Hasaranga for two boundaries on both sides of the wicket before nailing a slog-sweep for six. The eventful over came to a close with Parag dropping a tough chance off the dangerous Tristan Stubbs. The Capitals’ skipper continued his blistering knock against Theekshana. He punished two full-tosses for a four and a six before he pulled a short delivery to the fence.
The 200-run mark had been breached on each of the last eight T20s by the side batting first at Arun Jaitley Stadium. DC didn’t look like getting anywhere close, until Stubbs joined hands with Axar Patel, who also injected momentum with his takedown of Wanindu Hasaranga to make 34 off 14.
RR also didn’t finish well. Sandeep, who had figures of 3-0-14-0, bowled four wides and a no-ball in what proved to be a 11-ball over that ended with Maheesh Theekshana dropping a sitter off the last ball, the over costing 19. RR also reprieved Stubbs on 12 when Riyan Parag put down a regulation chance at long-on. And he hurt them with some important runs at the death – all contributing to RR chasing a bigger total than they would have.
While Stubbs’ runs were crucial, a gun throw running around from wide long-on to restrict the penultimate delivery to a single in regulation time – with RR needing 3 off 2 – was invaluable.
After his departure, the pair of Ashutosh Sharma and Stubbs scored three delectable boundaries off Archer behind the wicket in a 16-run over. Sandeep then bowled four wides and a no-ball in an 11-ball over as Stubbs hit a four and a six to drag his side to 188/5. Royals were left to rue their sloppiness in the field as Theekshana dropped an absolute sitter off the last ball.
Mitchell Starc’s superb lesson of reverse swinging yorkers handed DC an unlikely win over RR in the first Super Over of IPL 2025
In pursuit of 189, Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the tone with a couple of sixes off Mukesh Kumar. With dew setting in, the latter took on Mitchell Starc’s short deliveries dispatching him for two fours and a six in a 19-run over. Samson fiercely pulled Mukesh for another maximum and then brought up the 50-partnership with a lofted shot past mid-off to the fence.
Ashutosh Sharma dropped a difficult chance off Samson, after the batter hit one 53 metres into the air off Mohit Sharma. The Royals’ skipper continued to power through the gears, slapping drag-downs off Vipraj Nigam to the stands. Things looked to be smooth sailing for RR until Samson hurt his ribs after attempting a cut. Eventually, he had to walk off the field.
Before the gun finish, Starc had a nightmarish start when Jaiswal hit him for a sequence of 4, 6, 4 in his first over. Jaiswal chewed into Starc’s full-length deliveries, clearing the front leg and moving them with brute force over the infield towards the short leg-side fence. When he bowled short and into the body, Jaiswal got inside the line and pulled him imperiously over deep backward square.
Jaiswal’s early impetus also seemed to have an effect on Sanju Samson, who found his hitting range until a suspected side issue forced him to retire hurt with RR 61 without loss in 5.3 overs. The two balls leading into him retiring out were picked for a four and a six. But it was only when he reached out to cut Vipraj Nigam, that he pulled up and went off straightaway.
Axar brought himself on immediately after the PowerPlay and got the pitch to play its tricks as a few deliveries held up against Riyan Parag. With Parag playing and missing against Kuldeep Yadav as well, he was eventually castled by Axar – his first wicket of the season. Jaiswal and new batter, Nitish Rana, then upped the ante against Stubbs in a 12-run over.
A drag down by Kuldeep outside leg which should have been put away by Jaiswal was superbly saved by Mohit Sharma on the boundary line, saving a certain maximum. The night got worse for Mukesh as he was greeted with a boundary by Rana before he turned to the slower deliveries.
Soon after Jaiswal reached his 50, he holed out against Kuldeep Yadav at long-on. With 73 required off the last six overs, the Capitals created the opportunity they wanted. Rana hit one of Axar down the ground but Stubbs dropped him on the fence after misjudging it. The left-hander followed it up with a boundary and look set for the slog overs.
Rana continued to attack the spinners, firstly rocking back and pulling Kuldeep to the stands, and followed it up with a reverse-sweep to third-man. Dhruv Jurel survived a LBW shout through the recourse of DRS, and made the most of it by punishing a full-toss off Mohit Sharma to the stands.
Rana then brought up a timely 50 with a scoop behind the stumps. With 31 required off 18, Starc began with a couple of slower balls, before turning to his yorker and trapping Rana LBW. Starc followed it up with another yorker and Shimron Hetmyer was lucky to get a slight edge which raced for four.
It could’ve so easily turned pear-shaped for Stubbs, before that blockbuster finish. Nitish Rana was reprieved on 20 when Stubbs palmed the ball over the long-on boundary to deny Axar a wicket. Rana’s wicket would’ve been the perfect double-strike for DC, who only five balls earlier dismissed Jaiswal when Kuldeep Yadav lulled him in flight and had him drag one to long-on.
It was in the middle of the 18th over that Axar Patel, the Delhi Capitals captain, made up his mind that Mitchell Starc is going to be his man to defend whatever they are left with in the final over.
Mitchell Starc, after starting off with a slower ball and a short ball, switched to over and wicket and resorted to his trusted inswinging toe-crusher – quite literally – to hit Nitish Rana’s boot and trap the well-set batter plumb LBW in the very first attempt.
The saliva on the ball ensured it tailed back into the left-hander, there was late reverse, and Rana was caught dead in front despite shuffling across. As the Rajasthan Royals’ half-centurion made his way back to the dugout, with the visitors still needing a very manageable 28 more in 14 remaining deliveries
Rana kicked on to make 31 more off 12 deliveries to take pressure off RR going into the last three overs from a slightly precarious 73 off 36, with the ball gripping. It needed a gun in-swinging yorker from Mitchell Starc in his third over to dismiss Rana, with RR needing 28 off 14. Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel then needed 9 off the final over, but couldn’t manage a single boundary as Starc nailed his yorkers.
Here’s how much Mitchell Starc swung the old ball: 1.2 degrees on average across the 18th and 20th overs, and 1.8 degrees in his Super Over (old balls are used for Super Overs, with the fielding captain allowed to choose from a box of used balls). He had bowled the first and third overs of RR’s innings and swung the new ball just 0.8 degrees.
When you’re as quick as Mitchell Starc and as good at executing the yorker as he is, the decision of what option to go for at the death becomes far easier to make when the ball is reversing.
The Capitals’ excellence in the field continued after Sameer Rizvi saved a six hit by Jurel. The batter then clubbed one down the ground over the outstretched hands of Stubbs at long-off to bring the equation down. With nine required off the last over, Mitchell Starc stuck to his lethal yorkers to concede only eight runs and take the game to the first Super Over since IPL 2022.
In the Super Over. Despite the Capitals conceding 10 runs in the first three balls in the Super Over, Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal were run-out off successive deliveries as the Royals scored only 11/2.
In reply, KL Rahul hit a four while Tristan Stubbs pulled a six off a short delivery from Sandeep Sharma to seal the win. Earlier, a lesson in death bowling in the 20th over by Mitchell Starc saw the talismanic Australian defend nine runs in the last over of the chase to force a tie.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Sanju Samson the loosing RR skipper said : It feels alright (His injury). I wasn’t just ready to come back and bat. It feels alright now. We will observe it tomorrow and see how it is. We bowled really well. There were phases when they came hard at us. I would like to give credit to our bowlers and fielders. The energy on the ground was fantastic. I thought that score was chaseable given the batting lineup which we had.
The start which we got in the powerplay, I felt it was definitely a chaseable score. I think as we all saw some fantastic bowling by Starcy. He is one of the best guys around in the world. I would like to give it to Starcy. He won them the game in the 20th over. Plan was to swing hard. I think (Sandeep) has been bowling the toughest overs for us in the last few years. Starcy took it away. A win today could have created some positivity in the dressing room.
Axar Patel the winning DC skipper said : All is well that ends well. The way we started, the way the powerplay went. I thought we could have accelerated a bit more. We were talking to the batters during the first strategic time-out. They told us the wicket isn’t easy when you come in. I asked them to keep up the intent. But we got momentum after the 12 or 13th over while batting.
The ball was gripping. It wasn’t easy for the new batter. The set batter was finding it better. When the runs flow, the panic button sets in. I told myself and the troops after the strategic time-out in the bowling innings that the real game starts now. Won’t be easy in the middle overs. It won’t be easy to hit fours and sixes. We will have to do something off the deck as nothing will happen on its own.
When the set batter gets out, it isn’t easy for the new batters here. A couple of wickets go down and the panic button gets pressed under pressure. The ball was gripping and not coming on to the bat. This season, I had a cut during the Champions Trophy and wasn’t finding it easy. You do get confidence when the team is winning. But as a captain, you do think of contributing. You try to set examples.
I came in and tried to create an impact. I thought what I can do and followed my process. I batted and bowled well today I feel. (on thoughts before the last over) I was thinking if Mitch can execute, we will be in this. He bowled almost 12 yorkers. That’s why he is such an Australian legend. I guess he missed only one ball as far as execution was concerned. The field was changed but he kept at it. It was vital to lose that one game. Helps us.
Nine runs needed, six wickets in hand — it should’ve been a routine finish for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. But Mitchell Starc flipped the script, delivering five pinpoint yorkers in a sensational final over. Dhruv Jurel couldn’t find two runs off the last ball, and Mitchell Starc dragged the game into a dramatic Super Over. RR imploded in the Super Over, lasting just five balls and losing both Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal to run outs. DC chased down the 12-run target in just four deliveries.
With DC needing 5 off 3, Tristan Stubbs pulled Sandeep Sharma for six to seal DC’s fifth win in six games that takes them to the top of the points table. Stubbs had earlier contributed a vital unbeaten 18-ball 34 in regulation time to help DC score 42 off the last three overs.
So the first Super Over of the season was needed to separate these two sides. In a game that see-sawed all the way through, DC keep their nerve to win a humdinger. Coming back to the chase, Jaiswal and Samson started so well and that’s when bad luck struck RR. Samson in trying to cut, missed a ball and immediately felt his side. Something in his ribs and off he went. Parag came and went. Rana though coming in at 4 kept the momentum going, along with Jaiswal kept the scoreboard moving.
But the spinners with the help of the pitch slowed things down and 73 were needed off 36 balls at the 2nd timeout. Immediately RR got big overs and it needed Mitchell Starc magic to bring back DC into the game. A terrific inswinging yorker got the well-set Rana and with just 8 to defend in the last over, Mitchell Starc nailed yorker after yorker to take us to a Super Over.
RR started well with two boundaries and were 10/0 after 3 balls in the Super Over. Then an unnecessary run-out of Parag set them back and then Jaiswal got run-out next ball to leave DC a target of 12. Stubbs and Rahul had no problems in finishing it off against Sandeep who bowled one too many slower-balls into the wicket.
What goes around comes around. Delhi Capitals suffered three brainfade run outs last Sunday as they lost out against Mumbai Indians. Today, two hara-kiri run outs from Rajasthan in the Super Over and some sensational blockhole bowling from Mitchell Starc gave them an unlikely win, a get out of jail card. But champion teams make unlikely wins happen for them, and DC have the look of champions this year. The air around Delhi seems to be changing, it seems to be a lot more pure and calming to take in from atop the table.
Delhi Capitals will travel to Ahmedabad to face table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the afternoon game on April 19 (Saturday) while the Rajasthan Royals will host Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur later on in the evening on the same day.
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