CHENNAI: Nerveless Avesh Khan defended 17 runs in the final over as Rajasthan Royals secured a 12-run victory against Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Thursday.
Riyan Parag was the star with the bat for RR, smashing an unbeaten 84 in the first innings.
Chasing 186, David Warner (49 off 34) and Mitchell Marsh (23 off 12) got off to a good start as Capitals raced to 29/0 in three overs. Marsh smashed three fours off Nandre Burger and continued the onslaught against Trent Boult in the next over.
However, Burger had the last laugh as he first dismissed Marsh and then sent back Ricky Bhui in the same over. Joining Warner in the middle was Rishabh Pant, who started his innings with a boundary. Warner then got down on his knees and scooped Boult for six before hitting him down the ground. The Australian went on to hit a four and a six off Burger as Capitals finished the powerplay with 59/2.
Even as the field spread, Warner kept going, picking up boundaries off Avesh Khan. Pant, at the other end, took on the spinners R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal. When it looked like DC were running away with the contest, Avesh provided the much needed breakthrough dismissing Warner. Chahal dismissed Pant shortly after and DC were down to 109/4 in 14 overs.
Although Sandeep Sharma, RR's designated death overs specialist, tried to pile on Tristan Stubbs (44 n.o from 23) and Axar Patel (15 n.o from 13) went for a quick turnaround. They launched a counterattack against Ashwin, picking up 19 runs in the 17th over. Nine more came in the 18th over and it all came down to the penultimate over from Sandeep. Stubbs welcomed him with a six over long on and then followed it up with a four through the off-side. Sandeep finished the over with five runs in the remaining four balls, leaving 17 runs to defend for Avesh, who did a brilliant job, giving away just four runs in the 20th over.
Earlier, opting to field first, Delhi did not take long to make inroads. Coming in for Ishant Sharma, Mukesh Kumar struck early to get rid of the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal. Khaleel, making the most of the little movement that was on offer, removed skipper Sanju Samson to double down. Jos Buttler fell shortly after and all of a sudden RR were in a spot of bother (36/3 after 7.2 overs).
That is when R Ashwin joined Parag in the middle. Promoted ahead of Dhruv Jurel, Ashwin had one job at hand – turn the pressure on DC bowlers and get the run rate going. He took on Kuldeep Yadav and hit the spinner into the stands and then smashed Andre Nortje for two sixes. Parag joined the party by depositing Kuldeep into the stands. Even as Ashwin got out for 29 from 19 balls, RR had forced their way back into the game.
Parag carried the momentum forward alongside Jurel as the Assam batter hit a six and two fours in three consecutive deliveries off Khaleel. When Mukesh came back, he too was not spared as Parag brought up a 34-ball fifty. Jurel, at the other end, found boundaries against Kuldeep and Nortje but got out for 20 from 12 balls. In came Shimron Hetmyer, who went after Mukesh, picking up a six and a four in the penultimate over. In the final over, Parag (84 off 45 balls) hit two sixes and three fours, taking RR's total to 185/5.
Brief Score Rajasthan Royals 185/5 in 20 overs (Riyan Parag 84 n.o; Axar Patel 1/21) bt Delhi Capitals 173/5 in 20 overs (Warner 49, Stubbs 44 n.o).