Mitchell Starc showcased nerves of steel, delivering two clutch spells under pressure as Delhi Capitals clinched a pulsating Super Over victory against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL encounter on Wednesday.
Starc (1/36 in 4 overs), composed and clinical, defended nine runs in the final over to push the match into a Super Over—just when Royals seemed to have the contest in the bag.
He then bowled a tight Super Over, conceding just two boundaries while being backed by two sharp run-outs that restricted Rajasthan to a modest 11 runs.
KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs remained calm in the face of pressure, scoring a four and a six respectively to guide the hosts to their first win at the Feroz Shah Kotla this season.
Chasing 189, Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 37) and local favourite Nitish Rana (51 off 28) appeared to have put Rajasthan on course for victory. However, Delhi’s bowlers launched a spirited fightback to tie the match at 188/4.
Earlier, Delhi posted 188/5 after being put in to bat, riding on Abishek Porel’s mature 49 and explosive cameos from captain Axar Patel (34 off 14) and Tristan Stubbs (34 not out off 18). The innings was peppered with ebbs and flows, with both sides wrestling for momentum.
Jaiswal began the chase with intent, smashing two sixes off Mukesh Kumar before taking on Starc with a couple of boundaries and a towering maximum. Sanju Samson joined the assault but was forced to retire hurt after pulling up mid-innings.
The turning point came when Axar, wicketless until now in the tournament, dismissed Riyan Parag with a smart delivery. He then turned to his proven match-winner, Kuldeep Yadav (1/33 in 4 overs), who struck immediately to send back the set Jaiswal.
Rana, undeterred, carried forward the charge with clean and calculated hitting, steering Royals towards the target. But once Starc trapped him leg-before, the script turned sharply in Delhi’s favour.
Earlier in the evening, Porel and KL Rahul (38) provided Delhi with a 63-run foundation. Axar then smashed four boundaries and two sixes in a brisk 13-ball blitz before Stubbs closed the innings with finesse.
Despite a tidy spell from Sandeep Sharma (0/33), his final over saw lapses in line and length, with four wides and a no-ball proving costly.
Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) got the Capitals off to a flying start with back-to-back boundaries off Jofra Archer (2/32), but his poor run continued as he holed out to Jaiswal. A mix-up between Porel and Karun Nair (0) saw the latter run out, halting Delhi’s momentum early.
Royals’ bowlers tightened the screws during the middle overs. Yet, Rahul’s two towering sixes—one off Deshpande in the seventh and another off Mahesh Theekshana in the 11th—relieved the pressure.
Rahul’s composed knock came to an end via Archer, who struck with a back-of-length delivery that was well caught by Shimron Hetmyer at deep midwicket.
Axar then launched into a fierce counterattack, while Stubbs ensured the Capitals ended on a high, setting the stage for the late drama that culminated in Delhi’s thrilling Super Over victory.
Follow us
