IPL 2025: Late cameos by Axar Patel, Stubbs propel Delhi Capitals to 188/5

New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Late cameos by captain Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs rescued Delhi Capitals (DC) from a precarious position, and enabled them to post a formidable 188/5 in 20 overs against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Wednesday.

It’s the first time after 2023 that a score above 200 wasn’t posted in IPL games in New Delhi. On a slow pitch, which offered ample help for slower deliveries and balls were stopping at times, RR bowled brilliantly to keep DC on a tight leash, as they reached 111/4 in 15 overs.

But from there, Axar came in to hammer a sensational 34 off 14 balls, while Stubbs made the same number of runs in 18 balls and Ashutosh Sharma hit an unbeaten 15, as the trio’s impactful batting ensured DC got 77 runs off the last five overs.

Pushed into batting first, Jake Fraser-McGurk got going by smashing Jofra Archer for two boundaries in the opening over. Abishek Porel took a liking to Tushar Deshpande’s pace and lengths by hitting four boundaries and a six in the 23-run second over, with the wristy flick going over the deep-backward square-leg fence being the standout shot.

But after that onslaught, RR bounced back – Fraser-McGurk was hurried by Archer’s pace and spooned one to mid-off. One brought two for RR as Karun Nair was run out by an underarm throw by Sandeep Sharma for a duck after being involved in a mix-up with Porel.

With Sandeep and Maheesh Theekshana keeping things tight, barring a full toss from the latter being hit for four by KL Rahul, DC ended their power-play at 46/2. After that, RR kept things tight, especially with Wanindu Hasaranga bowling slower through the air and finding some grip, especially when bowling the googly.

Rahul, though, kept DC afloat by lofting Deshpande over long-off for six, before punching and dispatching Theekshana for four and six respectively. But in a bid to pull off Archer’s leg-cutter, Rahul didn’t get any elevation and holed out to deep mid-wicket for 38. Porel’s quest to go downtown against a slow Hasaranga resulted in him toe-ending a loft to long-off for 49.

Axar signalled a shift of gears when he pulled, hammered, and slogged Hasaranga for two fours and a six, before seeing Riyan Parag drop Tristan Stubbs on 12 at long-off in a 19-run 16th over. He then moved across to pull a full toss from Theekshana for six, before slicing and swivelling him for back-to-back boundaries.

Theekshana, though, had the last laugh by having Axar hole out to long-off for a 14-ball 34. Ashutosh Sharma used Archer’s pace well to guide him twice behind square on the off-side, while Stubbs scooped him well for another boundary, as 16 runs came off the 19th over.

With Sandeep bowling four wides and a no-ball, Stubbs took DC past 180 with a whipped four and slogged six, before being dropped by Theekshana on the last ball of the innings, as 19 runs came off an 11-ball final over.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 188/5 in 20 overs (Abishek Porel 49, KL Rahul 38; Jofra Archer 2-32, Wanindu Hasaranga 1-38) against Rajasthan Royals

--IANS

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