Delhi Daredevils players celebrate after victory over Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals at The Feroz Shah Kotla Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on May 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / SAJJAD HUSSAIN / ----IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE----- / GETTYOUT IPL 2018 is now gearing towards the business end and all the teams are now trying their hardest to reach the playoffs. Delhi Daredevils, who have been struggling quite badly throughout this tournament kept their campaign alive with a four-run win via DLS method over Rajasthan Royals. The match was reduced to 18 overs due to rain and further got interrupted and it again went down to the wire and Rajasthan couldn’t quite get over the finishing line.
5 takeaways from Delhi’s win over Rajasthan:
1. Delhi’s top-order firing on all cylinders:
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After the eventful exit of Gautam Gambhir and inclusion of under-19 World Cup winning captain Prithvi Shaw, Delhi Daredevils’s fortunes have certainly changed. In the match against Royals, Shaw scored 47, captain Shreyas Iyer scored 50 and Rishabh Pant continued his good form and struck a belligerent 69 off 29 balls.
Delhi’s batsmen might have come to the party a little late, but are surely making a mark and giving their team an outside chance.
2. Royals bowlers having a shocking night:
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Its never easy to concentrate and perform in a rain-curtailed match and Rajasthan Royals bowlers had a very forgettable night. All the Royals bowlers had a pretty disappointing outing apart from Ben Stokes all were quite expensive.
In the end, the margin of the defeat was not that big, but Royals bowlers’ sloppiness proved quite costly.
3. Jos Buttler finding his mojo back:
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England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler had a pretty disappointing season so far by his standards, but against Delhi on Wednesday, Buttler found his mojo and struck 67 runs off just 26 balls, hitting seven huge sixes and almost taking Rajasthan to a famous win. Rajasthan would have hoped Buttler’s innings could have taken them home, but its good news that Buttler is finding form at the right time.
4. Delhi bowlers holding their nerve:
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When you have had a pretty difficult season, you somehow think that luck is not on your side and self-doubts start to creep in. To the credit to Delhi’s bowlers, they bowled well under pressure and despite Buttler’s carnage, DD managed an elusive win and leg-spinner Amit Mishra’s figures of 2/12 played a crucial role in Delhi’s win.
5. Are Rajasthan Royals going through the motions:
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Rajasthan Royals have had a mixed tournament so far and have been very inconsistent. With the loss against Delhi, RR are now entering a difficult territory and their campaign is in danger of getting over.
Royals’ big guns players such as Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Jaydev Unadkat all had an underwhelming tournament so far and mentor Shane Warne’s charisma it seems is not working.