IPL 2023: Delhi hammered fair and square by Rajasthan

Strong opening gambit

Not many can force Jos Buttler to play second fiddle. Yashavi Jaiswal on Saturday afternoon outscored the swashbuckling Englishman with his blistering knock. Jaiswal teed off by hammering Khaleel for five boundaries in the first over. A pull, a cut, an exquisite cover drive, a lofted straight hit, and an uppercut to seal the mayhem. Khaleel ended up leaking 31 runs in two overs.

Buttler, whose availability for this match was a bit uncertain due to a finger injury, was also off the block with three boundaries off Anrich Nortje’s first over.

Guwahati: Rajasthan Royals batter Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates after scoring a half century during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, at ACA Stadium, Barsapara in Guwahati, Saturday, April 8, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Royals raced to 50 runs in the fourth over whenWarner brought on his deputy Axar, who didn’t get to bowl against Gujarat Titans because of the “match-ups”. Jaiswal slammed three boundaries of Axar, before belting Kuldeep Yadav for 17 runs, including a six over his head.

Delhi finally got the breakthrough with Mukesh Kumar stopping Jaiswal’s juggernaut. The southpaw was done in by a well-executed bouncer, the resultant top-edge off the attempted pull was swallowed by the bowler for his first IPL wicket.

Delhi bowlers clawed their way back after Mukesh broke the 98-run stand between Jaiswal and Buttler. In the next six overs, Delhi gave away only 30 runs, picking up the wickets of Sanju Samson (0), and Riyan Parag (7 off 11b), who again failed to impress.

Buttler, joined by Shimron Hetmyer in the middle, upped the tempo as Royals blasted 69 runs in the last five overs to propel Rajasthan to 199 for 4. Buttler’s knock was also belligerent, and so was the finish from Hetmyer. Mukesh Kumar (2/36) got the big scalp of Buttler, but Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel provided the perfect flourish to the Royals innings. Hetmyer finished with an unbeaten 39 off 21 balls, with 1 four and 4 sixes.

Double-wicket maiden from Boult

Boult hardly plays Tests for New Zealand these days. Even when he says he is available, they don’t pick him. It does seem his future lies with the franchise cricket – a decision made by him. And he continues to prove why T20 teams value his Test-bowling skills. Like the inswing with the new ball.

His first victim was Prithvi Shaw, who came as Impact Player for Delhi, who has been now undone thrice in a row against the quality new-ball bowling. It was Mark Wood in Lucknow, Mohammed Shami in Delhi and now Trent Boult in Guwahati.

Guwahati: Rajasthan Royals bowler Trent Boult celebrates with teammates after the wicket of Delhi Capitals batter Prithvi Shaw during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, at ACA Stadium, Barsapara in Guwahati, Saturday, April 8, 2023. (PTI Photo)

It curved into the middle and off stump line, but Shaw’s downward bat swing, that starts so wide, unsurprisingly went too far inside the line, and he nicked it behind. He might still have escaped but for a sensational catch by Sanju Samson, who flung himself one-handed to his right to poach it inches off the ground.

Manish Pandey got a peach from Boult; it curved in sharply to stun Pandey, who couldn’t get any wood on leather, and was trapped lbw.

Three matches in a row, captain Warner was left stranded on the non-striker’s end. He looked dejected when Rilee Rossouw fell to R Ashwin. The South African batter went for his trademark reverse sweep and Jaiswal took a sharp catch diving forward at the cover point.

A fine 64-run stand for the fourth wicket between Warner and Lalit Yadav was the saving grace for the Capitals, but too little and too late.

Warner’s scratchy phase has continued this season: he failed to get a move on, was unable to get his timing and looked a pale shadow of his former self. The Delhi skipper did reach a milestone as he became the quickest (165 innings) to reach the 6000 runs mark in the IPL. Warner laboured through his 61st IPL fifty in 44 balls.

However, Lalit Yadav (38 off 24b; 5×4) got stuck in, hammering Yuzvendra Chahal for two boundaries and hitting one each against Boult and Holder. His enterprising knock ended after he was cleaned up by Boult, who bagged his third of the match.

After a disappointing night a couple of days ago, Chahal also got into the wickets column when he got Axar Patel, who ran down the track but missed the heave. Rovman Powell’s wicket was the final nail in the coffin for Delhi, who succumbed to another embarrassing defeat.