In a high-octane clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, Mitchell Starc’s brilliance in the final over pushed the match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) into the first Super Over of this Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Starc, defending nine runs in the 20th over, held his nerve to concede just eight, taking the match into a dramatic tiebreaker.
Batting first in the Super Over, RR sent out Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer with Starc bowling for DC. Despite a free hit, Parag was run out attempting a risky second, and Jaiswal, who came in next, was also run out while trying to steal a run. RR ended the Super Over at 11 runs.
In reply, KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs walked out for DC, facing Sandeep Sharma. The duo wasted no time, wrapping up the chase in just four balls to seal a thrilling victory for Delhi.
Rajasthan’s Chase: Powerplay Blitz and Middle-Order Grit
Chasing 189, RR openers Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal came out all guns blazing. They took 15 runs off Mukesh Kumar in the second over, followed by Jaiswal’s brutal assault on Starc in the third, hammering 19 runs including two fours and a six.
Samson had an early reprieve when Ashutosh Sharma dropped a regulation catch off Mohit Sharma in the fifth over. The RR skipper made the most of it, hitting a four and a six off Vipraj Nigam in the last over of the powerplay. However, Samson retired hurt in the sixth over due to a stiff back, ending the powerplay at a strong 63/0 with Jaiswal unbeaten on 27.
Riyan Parag joined the action but fell for 8(11) to Axar Patel in the ninth over. Jaiswal, however, continued fluently and brought up his half-century in the 12th over before falling to Kuldeep Yadav for 51 off 36 (3 fours, 4 sixes).
Nitish Rana and Dhruv Jurel then built a steady partnership. Rana, dropped on a simple chance by Stubbs off Axar, made DC pay by hammering 16 runs in the same over. He continued the assault with a six and four off Kuldeep Yadav and reached his second fifty of the season in the 17th over.
Starc returned to dismiss Rana for 51 (28), which included six fours and two sixes. Jurel and Hetmyer tried to finish things off but Starc’s pinpoint bowling in the final over ensured RR could only tie the game at 188.
Delhi’s Innings: Stubbs, Axar Power Late Surge
Earlier, DC posted a competitive 188/5, built on solid contributions from the middle order. After being put into bat, Abhishek Porel gave Delhi a fiery start, taking 23 runs off Tushar Deshpande in the second over. However, Jofra Archer struck twice, removing Jake Fraser-McGurk for 9 and Karun Nair for a duck.
Porel then combined with KL Rahul in a 63-run stand before falling agonizingly short of a fifty—dismissed by Hasaranga for 49 off 37 (5 fours, 1 six). Rahul made a composed 38 before being Archer’s second victim.
Captain Axar Patel then took charge, blasting 34 off just 14 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes), and stitched a 41-run partnership with Stubbs. The South African remained unbeaten on 34 off 18 balls, ensuring a strong finish alongside Ashutosh Sharma (15*). Stubbs targeted Sandeep Sharma in the final over, which went for 19 runs.
Among RR bowlers, Archer stood out with 2/32, while Hasaranga and Theekshana claimed one wicket each.
This pulsating encounter had it all—fiery spells, dropped chances, fearless hitting, and nail-biting drama—culminating in a Super Over that lit up the IPL season in style.
(With ANI inputs)
