IPL 2020: RR vs DC: Match 23 Highlights: Disciplined Delhi Capitals' hammer Rajasthan Royals by 46 runs

Sharjah, Oct 9: Delhi Capitals once again proved they are the team to beat as they convincingly defeated Rajasthan Royals by 46 runs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday (October 9). With this win, Delhi Capitals claimed their fifth victory in the tournament and climbed at the top of the points table.

Having set a target of 185 after being invited to bat first in Sharjah, Delhi Capitals' bowlers once again performed like a well-oiled machinery to deny Rajasthan a win by bundling them out for 138 in 19.4 overs.

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The Steve Smith-led side kept losing wickets at regular intervals in the run chase, thanks to disciplined bowling and some superb fielding efforts from Shreyas Iyer's team.

Smith had won the toss and invited Iyer & Co. to bat first and RR bowlers restricted a power-packed Delhi side to 184/8 in the stipulated 20 overs but faltered badly in the run chase. Delhi have successfully defended their fifth total as they've secured a win in all five matches they have batted first.

Kagiso Rabada ended up as the pick of the bowlers with 3/22 and maintained his dominance at the top of the table in the leading wicket-takers' list. The Protea pacer was brilliantly supported by R Ashwin (2/22) and Marcus Stoinis (2/17). Anrich Nortje, Axar Patel and Harshal Patel picked one wicket apiece.

Rahul Tewatia (38) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (34) were the top-scorers for Royals as they faltered in the run chase at short Sharjah Ground. R Ashwin was awarded the player of the match for his bowling efforts as he dismissed Royals' opener, Jos Buttler, for 13 and gave Royals an early jolt. Ashwin won the duel with the English wicketkeeper-batsman after their 'Mankading' dispute last year.

"One of the important thing in this bowling attack is that most bowlers can bowl at any moment. It is sort of a role where you can put your hand up and be brave about it. Credit goes to the backroom staff. I am in a very good space mentally and physically and it really shows. Really enjoying myself in both those spaces. I just need to take it out to practice once the planning is done and then go out and express myself. I did use the carrom ball in the powerplay once or twice. It is just about how much you want to use it in the powerplay when you're ahead of the game. I got a brilliant catch and getting that Jos (Buttler) wicket was important. But the ball was soaking wet after the powerplay and the sweat didn't help either," said Ashwin on his performance.

After winning the toss, Smith said it was no brainer as batting at Sharjah has been easy and Royals had secured a win while chasing. Royals had a couple of wins at Sharjah but they weren't lucky third time around.

Shimron Hetmyer (45) and Marcus Stoinis (39) played brilliant cameos and helped their team post a respectable 184/8 on the board. Hetmyer displayed some incredible hitting exploits lower down the order and missed a well deserved fifty.

Prithvi Shaw (19), Shreyas Iyer (22), Axar Patel (17) and Harshal Patel (16) also scored some runs to keep their team in the hunt. Two Delhi Capitals' batsmen Iyer and Rishabh Pant (5) were dismissed run out. Shikhar Dhawan (5) once again disappointed with the bat as the southpaw was dismissed for 5.

Jofra Archer (3/24) was the pick of the bowlers for Rajasthan while four others took a wicket each. Earlier, Royals handed the debut cap to Andrew Tye and also included pacer Varun Aaron in their playing eleven as they made two changes to their side.