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That's all that we have for you from the Indian Premier League today. Four teams - CSK, SRH, DC and LSG are tied at 12 points apiece, and the clash between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Lucknow Super Giants tomorrow will sure be a decisive one in the context of the tournament. Join us right here on Sportskeeda for our coverage of that game, and a lot more! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Shashwat Kumar. Good night - see you tomorrow!
As of now, we have four teams tied at 12 points. Although they've played a game more than their neighbours at the table currently, the Delhi Capitals are ticking more boxes going into the latter stages of the tournament. Their team management came under scrutiny for some of the tactical decisions they made at the start of the tournament, but they've been a lot more decisive and clinical with their plans since then, and they're doing so at the best possible time. They'll take a lot of heart and momentum from this performance going into their game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru five days later.
The fact that the Rajasthan Royals had a couple of solid winning runs earlier in the tournament is aiding them now. Still placed at second on the table with 16 points in the bag and three games to come, the Royals will be keen on claiming that spot in the top two. They were immensely successful in run-chases earlier in the tournament, but a couple of moments here and there have come in the way for them in the last two games. The Royals, too, will be back in action in five days - a clash against the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk awaits them.
Kuldeep Yadav has been adjudged Player Of The Match! Here's what he has to say: It's very important to bowl in a good length, that was the challenge when you bowl at the death against power hitters. I saw Ferreira, I played against him in South Africa, I knew he's a back foot player, so I tried pushing it further. Varied the pace and length a bit afterwards. It was gripping whenever I bowled the wrong-uns, bowled a couple of seam-up deliveries to just check the batter, read what they're doing and not letting them settle. That was my plan. The length mattered for me. We saw against SRH and GT that even after 240-250, there's pressure on the bowlers. You try to mix your length and line, you have to be smart enough to bowl and read the batter. Back your strengths and keep believing.
Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals captain: The way our fast bowlers executed the yorkers, I think that's a positive. The way the tournament's going along, good to see that. Lot of positives to take from each and every match, even if we lose, we'll try to take the positives and move on. (On Kuldeep bowling the 18th) The thought was always there, we wanted to keep that over for Rovman and Donovan. With Kuldeep, we knew that these players are going to have that problem. As always, Kuldeep delivered. It was close to par, you don't mind a cushion of 10-20 runs, but 220 was a good target. We were thinking of restricting them around 200. We were looking how the game was progressing, we didn't want to use the impact player option early. We tried to keep it as delayed as possible. You need a 6th/7th bowler at Delhi, will try to do that always (delaying implementing the impact player).
Samson will also take both the Super Sixes of the Match award and the On The Go 4s of the match!
Sanju Samson will bag the award for the Ultimate Fantasy Player Of The Match!
Right - time for the presentation ceremony now. To start with - Jake Fraser-McGurk takes the honours of the Electric Striker Of The Match!
Mukesh Kumar: (Thoughts in the final over) I just wanted to bowl two dots. My intent was to get the batter out and that happened. I like to back my strengths (yorkers). But on this wicket, you could use your variations. (On Kuldeep's 17th over) That was the turning point of the game. (On the pitch) I think 210 was probably par, but the way we batted, we had 20 more.
Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals captain: We had it in our hands. It was 12 runs per over, and on this wicket, it was achievable. (On the decision at the toss) We are doing both things fine and we would like to stick to what the conditions demand. 220 was ten runs extra. If we had conceded two boundaries less, we would have easily gotten the target. The DC openers did what they have been doing throughout. The last couple of overs went for more than what I thought. We have lost three games but all of them have been tight. We have been playing good cricket throughout. The results can go here and there, but it is about doing the fine-tuning. We have to keep the momentum going. You have to give credit to Stubbs for the way he batted against Sandeep. He knows the conditions really well and he hit 2-3 sixes against my best bowlers (Chahal and Sandeep). We have to figure out where we made mistakes and then work towards correcting them.
The Capitals broke through two balls into the run-chase as Khaleel did for Yashasvi Jaiswal with a length delivery that skidded on to the left-hander. Khaleel and Ishant made good use of the new ball and kept things tidy in the first couple of overs, but then, Sanju Samson cut loose. Along with Buttler, the Royals skipper brought up a stand of 50 with an over remaining in the powerplay, striking the ball as sweetly as he does so often.
Buttler had his moment of fortune in between - he skied one off Mukesh early in the fifth over, but Stubbs shelled the chance. Buttler was looking good to make the most of the reprieve, but a clever change in pace from Axar Patel saw him drag one onto his stumps. Axar and Kuldeep Yadav then proceeded to keep a lid on the duo of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag, and even though there was the odd-boundary every over, the Royals were in desperate need of a big over.
Riyan Parag tried to take Rasikh Salam on once he was introduced - he hit one out the ground but was done in by a slower one, and was cleaned up the final delivery of that over. Samson, though, did not spare Salam in his second over - the RR skipper took 17 out of the 18 off his second over, and looked to keep the onslaught going as Pant went back to his pacers.
Khaleel Ahmed strayed in line and bowled four wides on the trot in his third over - the 15th of the innings, but Samson and the Royals weren't able to convert it into a bigger over once Khaleel decided to hit the pitch and rush him for pace. Samson eventually departed to an athletic piece of catching from Shai Hope on the boundary - there was a bit of disagreement between Samson and the umpires, but Hope did enough to complete the catch.
RR still had their middle and lower order to come - Shubham Dubey was looking good as well having clubbed Khaleel for 10 in the first two deliveries of his final over, but he was rushed by a skiddy length delivery, and holed out. Pant entrusted Kuldeep with the 18th and then Rasikh Dar Salam with the 19th, and both of them came really good - Kuldeep varied his pace and lengths and did for Ferreira and Ashwin.
While Rasikh Dar was hit for a six mid-way through the penultimate over, he nailed the wide yorkers, and Rovman Powell had far too much to do in the final over. He was cleaned up by Mukesh two balls in, and the Capitals claimed the contest with comfort. Presentations to follow...
The Capitals are still in it! Their bowlers came really good towards the back-end against a quality Royals batting line-up. The Royals had the perfect opportunity to seal a berth in the playoffs tonight - not to be!
20
overs
201/8score
1
W
2
4
1
0
runs
Trent Boult*
2(3)
Avesh Khan
7(3)
Mukesh Kumar
2/30
19.6 Mukesh Kumar to Trent Boult, DC WIN BY 20 RUNS! Perfect yorker to finish off. Just outside off and Boult can only chalk it back to the bowler. Mukesh lets out a roar of celebration and those in the crowd are dancing their hearts out too. DC move up to 12 points, and place themselves right in the playoff mix!
19.5 Mukesh Kumar to Avesh Khan, off-pace on a back of a length outside off. Avesh tugs it down the ground for a single
19.4 Mukesh Kumar to Avesh Khan, FOUR! Full toss outside off. Avesh gets his front foot out of the and muscles this past mid off!
19.3 Mukesh Kumar to Avesh Khan, dug into the track on middle and leg. Avesh gives himself room and hoicks it towards deep square leg
Avesh Khan, RHB, comes to the crease
That might well be the final nail in the coffin! Mukesh with yet another wicket at the death, and the Capitals draw close to a victory!
19.2 Mukesh Kumar to Rovman Powell, CLEANS HIM UP! Full, straight, you-miss-I-hit stuff from Mukesh. Slants into off stump, and Powell, trying to pump this into oblivion, loses his shape completely. Has a fresh-air shot and sees his off stump pegged back soon after. That should be the game!
Rovman Powell b Mukesh Kumar 13 (10b, 1x4, 1x6)
19.1 Mukesh Kumar to Trent Boult, slower ball on a length outside off. Boult advances and then swings himself off his feet. Chunks it off the inside edge into his pads, and Powell scurries across
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A Patel
J Buttler
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Trent Boult
*
Mukesh Kumar
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
