Rajasthan Royals on Saturday pulled off a clinical all-round performance to beat Delhi Capitals by 57 runs at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
The Capitals, mostly outplayed across all departments during the course of the game, have now lost all of their three games.
The Royals win, set up by a solid batting performance led by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (60, 31b; 11x4, 1x6) and Jos Buttler (79, 51b; 11x4, 1x6), was complemented well by the bowling department too. A fiery Trent Boult (4-1-29-3) and spin twins, Ravichandran Ashwin (4-0-25-2) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4-0-27-3), did most of the damage.
After being sent out to bat, Jaiswal and Buttler began in top gear, with the former smashing left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed for five fours in the very first over.
Buttler, who had to get multiple stitches to his little finger owing to an injury, was doubtful to make an appearance. However, not only did he make the final eleven, he seemed eager to carry on the good show in the ongoing season, hammering three boundaries off pacer Anrich Nortje in the second over.
The English white-ball captain offered the Capitals a glimmer of hope when he skied one early on. But Nortje couldn’t hold on to the tough chance, having had to track back from mid-off to get underneath the ball.
Jaiswal dominated the partnership as he raced to his fifty in 25 balls. The first six of the game came in the eighth over after 17 fours, when the left-handed Jaiswal carted spinner Kuldeep Yadav over long-off.
Jaiswal’s entertaining knock came to an end when he miscued a Mukesh Kumar bouncer right back to the bowler.
The Capitals nudged their way back into the game in the middle overs with the bowlers sticking to tight channels. While opposition skipper Sanju Samson had to take the long walk back to the hut for nought, Riyan Parag perished on 7, cleaned up by a Rovman Powell yorker.
Shimron Hetmyer (39 n.o., 21b; 1x4, 4x6) shored up the Royals innings with some masterful power-hitting, while young Dhruv Jurel too contributed his bit with a six, as the side got to 199.
The Capitals’ chase never recovered from Boult’s twin strikes in the first over, a record-extending fourth time he has done that in the IPL
Boult’s first victim was Prithvi Shaw, whose struggle with the bat continued as he scored another duck on the trot. The DC opener edged a delivery that held its line for ‘keeper Samson to complete a brilliant catch, while diving to his right. The Kiwi pacer, next, swung one back in, to trap Manish Pandey in front. Pandey departed without bothering the scorers.
WATCH: RR vs DC match highlights and analysis in 5 mins
Ashwin, who was introduced to counter the Capitals’ left-handers, was at his miserly best. The off-spinner churned out dot balls with ease, ultimately forcing Rilee Rossouw to attempt an ill-advised reverse sweep to offer Jaiswal an easy catch.
The 36-year-old would return to remove Powell, effectively ending any hopes the Capitals had of claiming two points from the game.
Skipper David Warner’s (65, 55b; 7x4) slow-paced half-century didn’t do the Capitals any favours in the chase as the Royals bowlers restricted their opponents to 142.
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