Red-hot Jos Buttler smashed his third century of IPL 2022 as the Royals beat Delhi Capitals to register their fifth win of the season.
Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 222/2 (20) beat Delhi Capitals 207/8 (20) by 15 runs.
What a start! What a finish! Another Jos special, another rollercoaster of emotions and another clutch performance from the Royals. The Wankhede crowd was in for a blockbuster Friday night as the Royals beat Delhi Capitals to register their fifth win of the season.
Once again, it was Obed McCoy who delivered the match-winning final over for Sanju & Co. Despite going for three consecutive sixes on the first three balls of the over, he kept his cool to bounce back in the remaining three. Delhi were in with a chance when Rovman Powell was striking it big. But in the end, it was down to a battle of nerves and the Royals emerged triumphant.
Earlier in the night, Jos Buttler continued his explosive form by notching up his third hundred of the season. This time, Devdutt Padikkal joined in on the fun with his first half-century in Pink. On a track where 158 has been the average first-innings score this season, Jos and Devdutt broke the shackles and went berserk with their extraordinary hitting. Their first-wicket partnership of 155 runs kept Delhi forever on the back foot. And even after the first wicket fell, Sanju Samson came in unleashing mayhem with his 19-ball 46, helping the Royals post a record total on the board - the highest of IPL 2022 (for the second match in a row!).
On a good batting pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, both teams were involved in a run-fest that saw batters smashing a total of 26 sixes all over the park. Over 400 runs were scored in this contest - with sixes as towering as the one that Jos hit straight into the top tier at Wankhede. But it was the team that took the most wickets at the right time that had the last laugh. The Royals lost just two wickets in the first innings, but not before inflicting severe damage on the opposition. And then in the second innings, our bowling unit came up with an inspiring performance to pick eight wickets and sealed the game in our favour.
Here are the top moments from the match:
Jos, naam to suna hoga?
Well, we\"re running out of words for this genius, and he seems to be running away with all the glory this season. Jos Buttler has a century each at three of the four venues of IPL 2022 - DY Patil, Brabourne and now Wankhede. All four of his IPL hundreds have come for the Royals, and they\"ve come in the last eight innings that he has played for the franchise. The way he has been dispatching the ball to all parts of the ground is only bad news for every opponent. But we’re not complaining - because just like Devdutt and the rest of the Royals - we have the best seat in the house!
Sanju\"s 100th
It was just the result that the Royals skipper would\"ve dreamt of in his 100th IPL match for the Royals. And it became even more special, thanks to his own performance. Sanju was fiery with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 46 with five fours and three massive sixes. His lightning quick glovework to run Shardul Thakur out came at a critical juncture. And all three of his catches - David Warner (28), Lalit Yadav (37) and Rovman Powell (36) - came at a time when the batters were just starting to threaten. A good day at the office for the team and Sanju, we’d say!
Ice-cool Skiddy delivers
It was Prasidh Krishna\"s all-important wicket-maiden in the penultimate over that set up the foundation for the Royals\" win. Delhi needed 36 runs off the last two overs but the pacer bowled an exceptional 19th over to restrict the batters. The pressure of two dot balls finally got to Lalit, who swung his bat but ended up edging one behind on the third. The next three deliveries were dots too, as Kuldeep Yadav struggled to put bat to ball and the pressure was back on Delhi.
Spin twins continue to impress
Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal\"s perfect chemistry continues to work wonders for the Royals. The duo picked three wickets between them and kept a tight lid on the run-scoring from one end. Ashwin\"s first ball of the night yielded a much-needed breakthrough, keeping up with the Royals\" knack for picking at least two wickets inside the Powerplay. He then came back to break another partnership in the 10th over, getting rid of a settled Prithvi Shaw. Chahal\"s solitary scalp came in the 13th over when he cleaned up Axar Patel. And from thereon, Delhi were only staring at a climbing required run rate.
It was a night that witnessed plenty of emotions running high and drama unfolding as the match drew to a tense finish. But credit where it’s due - our bowlers did a phenomenal job on a belter of a pitch with little assistance and kept us in the hunt with wickets at regular intervals. Jos’ magical century set the tone of the innings, Devdutt’s fifty was a huge confidence booster for him and the team, and Sanju’s entertaining cameo made for the perfect icing on the cake. With five wins in seven games, we\"re now placed at the top of the points table. Our next match is against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 26 in Pune.
What did you think of our performance? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter at @rajasthanroyals or with me, @arey_yaar