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We now come to the end of our coverage of the Indian Premier League for the day. We'll be back with more of the same in the evening tomorrow - a high voltage clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Kolkata Knight Riders await us! Join us right here on Sportskeeda for our coverage of the same, and a lot more! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Arya Sekhar Chakraborty. Good night - see you tomorrow!
Two wins on the trot for the Royals. They sure look a flexible outfit - the Royals provide an impression of having plenty of potential match-winners amongst their ranks. Parag provided them with a decisive finish earlier with the bat, Chahal and Ashwin played their part with the ball in the middle overs, and then, Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan killed the game off in the Royals' favour. Back to the drawing board for the Capitals - they need their pacers to come good towards the back-end of the innings. Their middle-order remains a concern as well - the Capitals lost the game right after Warner got out today.
Riyan Parag is the Player Of The Match! Here's what he has to say: Mom's here as well, she's seen the struggle over the last 4-5 years. I know this is just the start... tear up a bit. I've always believed that I know my opinion about myself, no matter what anyone says. That has never changed, regardless of whether I am performing or not. Constant support from myself to myself really helps. You get a lot of confidence from the type of domestic season you've had. Someone from the top four has to play a big hand, the wicket is like that. For someone coming in now it is really challenging. Sanju bhaiya did it last game, I did it this time. It's always fun when everything works out. I was in bed for the last three days, got up today thanks to painkillers and managed today.
Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals captain: It was a bit of roller-coaster, the way we started first 10 overs, we were like, "okay Rovman, get ready you might have to bat today", and then the way the partnership built, and the way the players took that opportunity to come and show was really fantastic. The game is changing, the IPL is changing, we have to be flexible around it. It was around 11 players before, now it's about 15 players, being ready, on the toes. Myself and Sanga had atleast 4-5 chats around the 13-17 over mark. Finally after the 17, we decided one extra bowler might be handy. What Riyan Parag did in the final over -24 or 25 off it - made it much easier. Each and every day is different for each player, it's based on what zone they are in, at times they are calm, composed and confident, you have to look at those and take decisions. I saw Sandy was calm and confident, and so was Avesh. So I went with them. Riyan Parag has been a big name the last three-four years. Everyone keeps asking when is he going to come good. Finally, I think this is the season, he has to keep his head down and focus on his cricket. There is something really special that he can give Indian cricket.
Avesh Khan: Yes sir. My plans are always clear with the ball. I wanted to bowl wide Yorkers and wasn't trying to bowl anything. When going back to the run up, I was breathing and hoping to execute. I just kept focussing on execution. I kept backing my yorkers. I am enjoying a lot here. We have Boult, Burger, Sandeep Bhai so we have a good variety of bowlers. Sanju Bhai gives me freedom and asks me to bowl whichever I feel like and only asks me to bowl accordingly when plan doesn't work out. I always try to improve myself. In T20s I try to bowl new deliveries. I never think of selection and try to do purposeful practice always.
Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals captain): I think definitely disappointed but the best thing we can do is to learn from this. I think the bowlers did very well for 15-16 overs. It will happen sometimes that batters will go berserk. Hopefully we learn from this and come back better. The platform which was set by Marsh and Warner, we couldn't quite consolidate on that but I feel we had too many runs to cover up in the end. There is always one option or the other. We wanted Nortje to bowl in the death. Sometimes he will go for runs, that's part and parcel of the game. Hopefully we come back stronger.
Match summary:
Rajasthan Royals win by 12 runs
Riyan Parag 84*(45) | Yuzvendra Chahal 2/19 (3) David Warner 49(34) | Axar Patel 1/21 (4)
While the Delhi Capitals flew off the blocks, unlike their opponents from earlier today, the Capitals batters were just not able to build the innings from thereon - particularly after the loss of Warner. Spin from the Royals played a key part in that - Yuzvendra Chahal kept things really tight throughout the 3 overs that he got, choked the scoring rate completely in the middle overs.
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh saw off the first over from Trent Boult and proceeded to target both left armers in Nandre Burger and Boult. Burger, though, proved to be too quick for Marsh and then Ricky Bhui - accounting for both of them successively. Warner, though, kept at it, and helped the Capitals get to a fairly decent position at the end of the powerplay.
While the odd-boundary and six came along over the course of the next few overs, the squeeze was on both the left-handers. Warner survived a reprieve having been sent back by Pant from halfway down. The explosive recently retired Australian was keen on pushing along, but a terrific reflex catch from Sandeep Sharma put an end to Warner's stay in the middle.
The feeling of the tide turning was right there once Warner was dismissed. Pant nicked behind, Porel succumbed to pressure, and it was left to Tristan Stubbs, alongside Axar Patel in gunning down an equation of 66 off the last 5. Stubbs, having been dropped on one occasion, proceeded to take Ashwin on and cleared the ropes twice.
Stubbs was onto Sandeep Sharma at the start of the 19th over as well, but barring that, the duo of Avesh Khan and Sandeep nailed their yorkers in the last three overs, and eventually, bowled their team to victory. Presentations coming up soon....
At the end of the day, the difference between the two sides ends up being their show with the ball at the death. The Royals claim a second successive win on home turf already!
20
overs
173/5score
1
0
1
1
0
1
runs
Axar Patel*
15(13)
Tristan Stubbs
44(23)
Avesh Khan
1/29
19.6 Avesh Khan to Axar Patel, another delivery in the blockhole, around off and that has been flicked away towards the deep midwicket region for a single. Rajasthan Royals wins by 12 runs.
19.5 Avesh Khan to Axar Patel, Axar Patel misses out this time, again going for the yorker but ends up as a full toss, Axar throws his hands at that and gets beaten.
19.4 Avesh Khan to Tristan Stubbs, this has been a top class over from Avesh and he has sealed it for his team. He just need to bowl two legal deliveries here. Fuller-length a shade outside off, Stubbs squeezes it away off the inside half of the bat, towards the square leg fielder and settles for a single.
19.3 Avesh Khan to Axar Patel, this is top draw stuff from Avesh Khan. Again a yorker a tad outside off, Axar only manages to dig that away towards the long-off fielder for a single.
Spot on from Avesh Khan! Two brilliant wide yorkers so far. 16 off 4....
19.2 Avesh Khan to Axar Patel, goes yorker again and under pressure, Avesh is delivering. A shade outside off and goes under the bat of Axar. Exceptional start to the over by Axar.
19.1 Avesh Khan to Tristan Stubbs, Avesh goes yorker and nails it, a shade outside off which has been dug out towards the off side for a single. 17 required off 5.
Tremendous show of nerves from Sandeep Sharma. He was under the pump having gone for 10 in his first two, but has done a really commendable job in landing those yorkers/wide yorkers right, and now, the Capitals need 17 off the last over. Advantage the Royals, you'd feel. Avesh Khan will bowl the last over...
19
overs
169/5score
6
4
1
1
1
2
runs
Axar Patel*
13(9)
Tristan Stubbs
42(21)
Sandeep Sharma
0/36
18.6 Sandeep Sharma to Axar Patel, well bowled again but Axar manages to guide that away for a couple. Opens the bat face to a blockhole delivery outside off, good work by Nandre Burger to keep it to a couple.
18.5 Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Sandeep goes full again and bowls it well, Stubbs moves across off and tries to swing it across the line, off the inside edge towards the square leg region and takes a single.