New Delhi, May 4: Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra helped Delhi Capitals to a 5 wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in their final league match of the ongoing IPL here on Saturday.
Ishant (3/38) did the early damage before leg-spinner Mishra (3/17) came to the party to rock Rajasthan's innings. While, the veterans did their job with the ball, Pant played a steady innings to guide Delhi to a win after Ish Sodhi and Shreyas Gopal had rattled the top order.
Young Riyan Parag (50 off 49, 4x4s, 2x6s) was the lone bright spot for Rajasthan as he held on to one fort and notched up his maiden IPL fifty to take the visitors close to the 120-run mark. Parag became the youngest player at 17 years and 175 days to score a fifty in IPL.
Rajasthan had a disastrous start after opting to bat as they were reduced to 30 for four at the end of the first six overs of powerplay with Ishant doing bulk of the damage. Ishant struck in the second over, removing Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane (2) and then came back an over later to clean up Liam Livingstone (14).
To make matters worse for the visitors, in-form Sanju Samson (5) fell victim to an unnecessary mix up with Mahipal Lomror in the next over. Lomror (8) didn't help his cause either as he handed Ishant his third wicket of the day, nicking one to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
Parag and Shreyas Gopal tried to stabilise the innings with a 27-run fifth-wicket stand before Mishra scalped two wickets in consecutive deliveries in the 12th over to disturb Rajasthan's resistance. Mishra first foxed Gopal (12) to be stumped by Rishabh and then induced a faint edge from new man Stuart Binny, which again Rishabh obliged. This gave Mishra a chance for registering a hat-trick.
The leg-spinner was well on course of scalping a hat-trick but Trent Boult dropped a sitter at long-off to hand Krishnappa Gowtham life. However, Mishra got his man an over later as Gowatham gave a straight forward catch to Ishant at long-off and Rajasthan slumped to 65 for seven.
Parag opened up late and smacked Ishant for two fours to pick up 18 runs off the 17th over and then smashed Boult for two sixes in the final over before perishing in the last ball of the innings.
Here are the live updates for DC vs RR:
Pant plays a completely different game to what he's known for and helps DC although with a lower NRR than Mumbai and Chennai, to move up to second spot for now. The Rabada-less, team's bowlers bounced back really well from the CSK defeat, in fact they sealed the game in the first innings itself after restricting Rajasthan to a severely underpar 115. The Royals might have sniffed a chance when Sodhi got rid of Dhawan and Shaw off consecutive deliveries, but eventually with Pant's striking Delhi got home.
.@DelhiCapitals give their 🔵 home support at the #QilaKotla a happy send off 🙌
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019
Onto the playoffs 💪#DCvRR pic.twitter.com/NxdAURm2Oy
Its all over. Rishabh Pant hits a six to bring up his fifty and help Delhi Capitals to a five wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.
Steadying the chase ft. @RishabPant777 🔥#DCvRR #ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals #IPL #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/c0mTsIAS4r
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 4, 2019
Shreyas Gopal picked up a wicket in that over, but concedes 15 runs. DC need just one run to win now.
OUT!! Rutherford departs after striking Gopal for a six. DC are 106 for 5 in 15.2 overs
Rishabh Pant gets into the groove, strikes back-to-back boundaries as Delhi Capitals reach 100 at the end of the 15th over.
Sodhi concedes just three runs and most importantly picked up a wicket in the over. Rutherford walks into the middle as DC need 32 off 36.
OUT!! Sodhi gets his third wicket of the match. Colin Ingram's attempt to sweep finds the edge and Rahane takes a simple catch. DC are 83 for 4 in 13.4 overs. Now, do RR have a chance?
Four runs conceded from Gowtham's final over of the match. DC are 81 for 3 in 13 overs. Another tight over and it will get close to a run a ball.
Shreyas Gopal bowls yet another tight over, concedes just two runs from it. DC are 77 for 3 in 12 overs.
Five runs comes of the eleventh over bowled by Gowtham. DC need 41 runs off 54 balls to win. Few more tight overs and the pressure will be back on the home side.
3⃣ quickfire wickets 🔥🔥🔥
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019
Can @rajasthanroyals spinners keep the pressure on Delhi Capitals? #DCvRR pic.twitter.com/Jw3sT0Lpl5
Stuart Binny bowls a tight over and concedes just six singles from the 10th over. DC are 70 for 3 in 10 overs.
1,0,0,0,0,0 - Just one comes off Krishnappa Gowtham's second over as Colin Ingram joins Pant in the middle. DC need 52 from 66 to win.
Shreyas Gopal gets rid off Shreyas Iyer, but is it too late. DC are 63 for 3 in 8 overs.
Rishabh Pant scores back-to-back sixes off Riyan Parag as 14 runs come from the 7th over, DC are 60 for 2.
Shreyas Iyers hits Ish Sodhi for back-to-back sixes, while Pant joins in to hit a boundary to help DC to 46 for 2 at the end of power play.
Shreyas Gopal concedes just one run from his first over. DC are 29 for 2 in 4 overs.
Double wicket maiden for Ish Sodhi. DC are 28 for 2 in 4 overs.
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are in the middle now. The pair have a big task on their hand as the DC are known for collapses.
Back to back wickets for Ish Sodhi who sends both the Delhi Capitals openers back into the hut
Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw hit Oshane Thomas for three boundaries in the over. Capitals are 28 for 0 in 3 overs.
Varun Aaron concedes nine runs from his first over. DC are 15 for 0 in 2 overs, need 101 off 108.
Six singles come off the first over. Delhi Capitals are 6 for 0 in 1 over. Need 110 off 114 balls
Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan come out to the middle to start the run chase for Delhi. Gowtham opens the bowling for Royals.
Delhi Capitals need 116 off 120 to win the match and there is every chance for them to improve their net run rate. But on the slow surface they wouldn't want to take a risk with Ish Sodhi and Shreyas Gopal in the Royals ranks.
The first 20 overs belonged to our bowlers. Batsmen, let's make the next innings ours as well! 👊#DCvRR #ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/aUjia6weO1
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) May 4, 2019
OUT!! Riyan Parag holes out to Boult off the last ball of the match. However, his knock has helped Royals to 115 for 9 at the end of the 20th over
FIFTY!! Another SIX!! Riyan Parag becomes the youngest to score a IPL fifty
17-year old @ParagRiyan - youngest to score 50 in the #IPL.#StarInTheMaking pic.twitter.com/GUh7HJnQ8J
— Arun Gopalakrishnan (@statanalyst) May 4, 2019
SIX!! Riyan Parag hits Trent Boult down the ground for a maximum
Three runs come of the penultimate over of the innings as Royals reach 100.
Keemo Paul seems to have some issue with his foot and leaves the field. Sherfane Rutherford will bowl the remaining five balls of the 19th over.
End of the eighteenth over and Rajasthan are 97 for 8 as Varun Aaron joins Riyan Parag in the middle.