DC vs RR, IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals beats Rajasthan Royals by 20 runs to stay in playoff contention

Samson’s efforts, a free-flowing 46-ball 86, though were not reciprocated by his fellow batters – no one other than his scored more than 27 – as the Royals crashed to their second consecutive defeat.

Delhi now joins Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants with 12 points each in a mid-table scramble for the playoffs. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu

Delhi Capitals (DC) braved a stormy knock from Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson to clinch a vital win in IPL 2024 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Tuesday.

After being sent out to bat, DC scored an imposing 221 for eight in the first essay, before restricting the Royals to 201 for eight.

Samson’s efforts, a free-flowing 46-ball 86, were not reciprocated by his fellow batters however -- with no one besides him scoring more than 27 -– as the Royals crashed to their second consecutive defeat.

DC’s defence began on the right note with Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal falling to Khaleel Ahmed off the second ball of the innings.

Jaiswal’s opening partner Jos Buttler struggled for rhythm before he was castled by Axar Patel.

Samson though was quick off the block, racing to 41 off 16 balls, attacking DC pacers with scant respect. The right-handed batter was watchful against the home spinners on a surface that offered grip and turn, before launching a second charge against the quicker bowlers.

Kuldeep Yadav’s two-wicket over was the turning point of the game | Photo Credit: Sportzpics for IPL

The game’s turning point came when Samson was dismissed by Mukesh Kumar off a contested decision. The Royals claimed Shai Hope had touched the boundary rope at long-on after completing the away skipper’s catch. The on-field umpires stuck to the decision made by the third umpire, despite Samson’s protests.

Rovman Powell and Shubman Dubey kept the battle alive with some big hits. But in the end, it was a bridge too far for the Royals as DC secured its sixth win of the tournament.

DC’s batting salvo was led by fifties from openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel, as the home side accounted for its third 200+ score at the venue.

R Ashwin was the only Royals bowler who held his own, with the experienced off-spinner ending with his best bowling figures of the season (3/24)

Fraser-McGurk was the one who first lit the fuse as he sizzled to a 19-ball fifty, torching the Royals pacers to a relentless stream of boundaries.

Samson returned to the middle following the review, which indicated Hope being very close to the ropes. He had a heated discussion about the catch with the on-field umpires before being sent back.  | Photo Credit: Sportzpics for IPL

The 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk took a particular liking for the right-arm pace of Avesh Khan. The right-handed batter swished and swashed brutally, scoring 28 runs off an over from the Royals bowler.

Just when the Aussie batter threatened to take the game away from his opponents, he chipped an innocuous high full-toss from R Ashwin straight to cover.

Royals’ lucky break continued when DC’s one-down batter Shai Hope was run out at the non-striker’s end on the follow-up by pacer Sandeep Sharma.

But DC refused to take the foot off the pedal as it accumulated 79 runs in the PowerPlay, the most Royals have conceded in the opening phase of a game this season.

Porel led the charge for DC as he raced to his maiden IPL fifty. The 22-year-old batter was unfazed against the Royals’ stacked bowling attack, as he gathered boundaries with ease. The pick of the lot was a cracking straight drive against Sandeep which whistled to the fence.

Royals though fought back through their spinners, with Ashwin ending Porel’s time in the middle and Yuzvendra Chahal snaring home skipper Rishabh Pant.

DC’s innings found a late flourish through Tristan Stubbs, whose 20-ball 41 took his side to 221, which, in the end, proved to be more than enough.