Hello and welcome to Sportstar's LIVE coverage of the Indian Premier League 2019 where a resurgent Rajasthan Royals side locks horns with a formidable looking Delhi Capitals on Monday.
Rishabh Pant wins the man of the match award for his match-winning knock. That's all we have for you today. Thank you for joining us and we will be back tomorrow for a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chepauk. Till then, goodbye....
SIX - That's the game as Pant seals the deal with a maximum and spoils Ajinkya Rahane's second IPL century. This run chase was made look so easy by the Delhi batsmen. Dhawan with a fifty, Prithvi Shaw got runs but it was Rishabh Pant's unbeaten 78 that made the difference as Delhi beats Rajasthan by six wickets.
Single off the first ball and that brings Rishabh Pant on strike.
6 runs required off 6 deliveries and it will be Jaydev Unadkat to bowl the final one.
SIX - Rishabh Pant hits Jofra Archer for a maximum and he connects it brilliantly and deposits the ball over long-on.
Delhi requires 17 off 12. Colin Ingram joins Rishabh Pant.
WICKET - Sherfane Rutherford falls after two hits. Slower ball, Rutherford goes for the shot but the ball lands safely in the hands of Riyan Parag.
SIX - Sherfane Rutherford starts with a bang as he smokes a Dhawal Kulkarni slower one over the long-on fence for a maximum.
Sherfane Rutherford is the new batsman.
WICKET - Shreyas Gopal has his man as Prithvi Shaw falls. Went for a big shot, got the elevation but not the distance. Important breakthrough for Rajasthan but Pant is going great guns.
Four - Pant is unstoppable as he smacks Shreyas Gopal for two consecutive boundaries. Delhi is inching closer to the target.
Fifty for Pant - Excellent innings under pressure and he gets to the landmark with a six over deep square leg boundary.
Five overs remaining and Delhi needs 50 off 30 deliveries. With Pant and Shaw out there in the middle, Delhi will fancy its chances.
FOUR - The fifty run partnership between Pant and Shaw is up and this time he goes down on his knee and helps the slower one over the in-field and the ball clears the fence.
Wonderful passage of play as both Pant and Shaw are not only finding the boundaries but also are taking quick singles and twos. Pressure on Rajasthan to break the partnership.
SIX - Pant is in his zone as this time he smokes Shreyas Gopal for a maximum over long-on.
FOUR - Short again and this time Pant smokes it through the mid-wicket boundary. Delhi are on a move now.
FOUR - Pant lines up Riyan Parag and latches on to a short delivery and clears the fine leg boundary.
Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant have a job in their hands.
WICKET - Riyan Parag picks the prized scalp of Shreyas Iyer as the Delhi skipper hits straight down the throat of Ben Stokes in the deep.
WICKET - There's the breakthrough and Shreyas Gopal bounces back after being hit for a boundary. Dhawan dances down the track but fails to connect and the keeper does the rest.
FOUR - Shreyas Gopal drops it short and Dhawan muscles it through the mid-wicket for a boundary.
Fifty for Shikhar Dhawan - Dhawan brings up his fifty - his fourth this season and he has been in fine form.
Riyan Parag into the attack.
FOUR - Excellent innovation from Shikhar Dhawan as he shuffles across and scoops it to the fine leg boundary.
FOUR - Prithvi Shaw joins the fun, gets a boundary off Dhawan. DROPPED! Turner drops Shaw off the next delivery.
FOUR - Welcome to the attack, Jofra Archer; Dhawan hammers a boundary to deep mid-wicket. Eight off it in the end.
SIX - Shreyas Gopal is dispatched for a six by Dhawan who follows it up with
a boundarytwo boundaries.FOUR - Dhawan welcomes Unadkat with a boundary. Just seven off his first over.
FOUR - Short delivery from Kulkarni and Dhawan pulls it through the mid-wicket for a boundary. Excellent batting.
SIX - Excellent pick up shot from Shikhar Dhawan and the ball has flew into the stands. On the pads and Dhawan just flicks it so easily.
Three runs off the first over with both Dhawan and Shaw getting off their mark. Dhawal Kulkarni to partner Stuart Binny.
We are back for the chase and Delhi openers Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw are out there in the middle. Stuart Binny with the ball. Here we go.
Rajasthan Royals posts 191 for the loss of six wickets. Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten 105 to help Rajasthan post a stiff target on board. Not to forget, Steve Smith too impressed with the bat with a brilliant fifty as along with Rahane, the duo forged an important 130-run stand. Will this be enough or will Delhi batsmen spoil Rahane's brilliant century? We will find out in a while when we return for the chase. Stay tuned.
WICKET - Kagiso Rabada cleans up Stuart Binny with a peach of a delivery.
Two more overs to go and with Rahane having crossed his hundred, he will be eyeing to clear the ropes along with Stuart Binny.
WICKET - Ashton Turner is gone and he departs for a first ball duck for a straight third time.
Hundred for Rahane - What an innings this has been and Ajinkya Rahane must be relieved. Takes a couple off Ishant Sharma, who incidentally dropped him, and there comes the celebration. The dug out stands up to applaud in what has been an impressive hundred.
Ashton Turner is the new man in.
WICKET- Chris Morris strikes and Ben Stokes fails to put a full toss away. Stokes fails to make the opportunity count and he won't be happy going into the dug out.
The 150 is up for Rajasthan Royals with Ajinkya Rahane nearing his century. Five more overs to go and 200 is on the cards.
What a time for Ben Stokes to walk in. The foundation is laid for him to tee off.
WICKET - Finally Delhi has managed to break the partnership as Steve Smith perishes while trying to clear mid-off and Chris Morris settles under the skier just inches ahead of the ropes. Axar Patel is slightly relieved.
FIFTY for Smith - Steve Smith hits a fifty off 31 deliveries and this has been an innings of sheer class. Rajasthan is very well placed.
SIX - That is some shot from Ajinkya Rahane. Shuffles across and smokes Chris Morris over the fine leg for a maximum. He has certainly found his touch back.
Steve Smith and Ajinkya Rahane bring up their 100-run partnership off 58 deliveries. With nine more overs to go, Rajasthan looks set to post a big score.
100 up for Rajasthan - Now Steve Smith gets into the act as he hits Amit Mishra for a couple of boundaries and Rajasthan crosses the 100-run mark. With two set batsmen, Rajasthan will eyeing to cross at least 170. Delhi needs a breakthrough desperately.
FOUR - Top shot from Ajinkya Rahane as he goes inside out and lofts over the covers for a boundary. He is looking in good touch.
Delhi is in need of wickets as both batsmen are finding the odd boundaries but the highlight being the running between the wickets.
End of the first strategic time-out and Rajasthan will hope both Rahane and Smith carry on in the same fashion.
Rahane hits fifty. Excellent half-century from Ajinkya Rahane and he has looked a complete different batsman today. He is not afraid to play his shots and after getting a life, he hasn't looked back. He has been the accelerator with Steve Smith in company.
Amit Mishra into the attack.
Fifty up for Rajasthan - Ajinkya Rahane has swifty changed gears as he along with Steve Smith have taken Rajasthan past the 50-run mark in 6 overs. The duo has put the fall of Sanju Samson behind although Rahane was handed a life.
SIX - Excellent use of the feet as Ajinkya Rahane comes down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball and smacks Axar Patel over the long-off boundary. High and Handsome. He then follows it up with a boundary. Rahane goes for the sweep, hits it straight to Ishant at short fine leg and the senior bowler puts it down. Might be a costly drop.
Dropped - Ishant Sharma drops a sitter! Ajinkya Rahane gets a life.
Spin introduced early and it will be Axar Patel.
FOUR - After three dot balls, Steve Smith breaks away from the shackles with a crisp hit over mid-off and collects a boundary.
Steve Smith is off the mark with a single but Rahane's running between the wickets looks tentative. Rajasthan would hope the former skipper doesn't gets involved in another one.
Steve Smith walks in to join Ajinkya Rahane.
WICKET - Sanju Samson is run-out without facing a ball. Bizarre running from Rahane and Samson with the latter backing up way too much. Rahane taps the ball, calls for a single but refuses and although Samson puts in a dive, Rabada caught him short with a direct hit.
Tidy first over from Ishant Sharma as he gave just five runs. Kagiso Rabada to partner Ishant.
FOUR - First runs on the board and Ajinkya Rahane opens his account with a boundary off the second delivery. Leans into the drive and caresses the ball through the covers for a boundary.
We are all set for Match 40 and the Delhi players are out there in the middle. Rajasthan opener Ajinkya Rahane sprints onto the field and Sanju Samson will be his partner. Ishant Sharma will start the proceedings with the ball for Delhi. Here we go!
Playing XI:
Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(C), Rishabh Pant(WK), Colin Ingram, Chris Morris, Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma
Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson(WK), Steven Smith(C), Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Ashton Turner, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni
- Toss: Delhi Capitals won the toss and have elected to bowl first. While Rajasthan is unchanged, Delhi has made one change as Chris Morris comes in place of Sandeep Lamichhane.
- Pitch Report: Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith reckons that the pitch is on the drier side with little bit of grass on it and he suggests that the captain winning the toss should bowl first and chase under lights.
- We are just 30 minutes away from the toss and as the race for playoffs intensifies, Steve Smith would hope to register a second win as captain. Stay tuned as we get you all the live updates.
Here is our correspondent P. K. Ajith Kumar's take on tonight's contest at Jaipur:
Sometimes, all a team needs is just one game to get back on track.
For Rajasthan Royals, that was the game against Mumbai Indians on Saturday in the 12th edition of the IPL.
Here was a team that was probably one loss away from elimination, playing without its best performer and saw a change in captaincy hours before the match. And it was up against a side that had won four of its last five games.
Yet, Royals outclassed Mumbai Indians — without Jos Buttler, their leading scorer for the last two seasons, and under Steve Smith, who took over from Ajinkya Rahane.
Royals would be hoping for another show like that on Monday, when they take on Delhi Capitals.
Identical win
Shreyas Iyer’s men, too, have been in good form.
Hours after Rajasthan’s five-wicket win, Capitals posted an identical win over Kings XI Punjab at Delhi, where they had been struggling this season.
Of their five games at home, they have lost three (one match went to the Super Over), though they won four of their five away games.
It is the depth in the side that has made Capitals such an excellent touring side. In Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas, they have two batsmen in form. Then there are the likes of Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Ingram.
Spearhead Rabada
The bowling is spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada, the purple cap holder.
The South African quick has 21 wickets from 10 matches and has been exhilarating to watch.
The other Proteas seamer Chris Morris also has been amongst the wickets. Spinners Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane and Axar Patel could have a role to play, given the slow surface at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Shreyas Gopal’s leg-spin has been very effective for Royals here.
Read: Jos Buttler flies back home for birth of child
He and seamer Jofra Archer have shouldered the bowling responsibility admirably. The host could also take heart from the improved bowling by Jaydev Unadkat in the death against MI.
Equally heartening must be the way the batting clicked and the courage and composure displayed by 17-year-old Riyan Parag, who had a match-winning partnership with the new skipper.
Buttler’s explosive batting may not be available at the top of the order, but Sanju Samson and Steve Smith are in good touch to make up for it.
The match will be streamed live on Hotstar.
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