JAIPUR: Riyan Parag’s unbeaten 45-ball 84 propelled Rajasthan Royals to 185-5 and sealed a 12-run win over the Delhi Capitals in IPL on Thursday.
Rishabh Pant-led Delhi won the toss and chose to field first and maintained a stranglehold over the game until the second half of the Royals’ innings.
Rajasthan lost both their explosive openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (five) and Jos Buttler (11) early and even batting mainstay, captain Sanju Samson, failed to convert his start and fell for 15.
With the team reeling at 36-3 in the eighth over, Rajasthan promoted India’s spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who built a crucial 54-run partnership with Parag.
Ashwin scored 29 off 19 balls and took the team to 90 before he was dismissed in the 14th over by India teammate Axar Patel.
Parag, who has been criticized in previous IPL seasons for his rash shot selection, kept the scoreboard ticking until after the 17th over.
The 22-year-old put together another key partnership with Indian wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel (20).
Parag, who reached his 50 off 34 balls, cracked 25 runs with three fours and two sixes off the final over bowled by South African paceman Anrich Nortje.
He was ably supported by West Indian Shimron Hetmyer, who hit an unbeaten seven-ball 14 that propelled the team to an impressive 185-5.
Samson praised player of the match Parag.
“Wherever I go, people ask me about him. There is something very special he can give to Indian cricket,” he said.
Patel was the standout bowler for Delhi and finished with 1-21 in his four over spell.
Delhi started their chase well with Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and veteran David Warner.
Marsh was removed after a 12-ball 23 in the fourth over by South African quick Nandre Burger, who also removed Ricky Bhui (0) in the same over.
But that didn’t stop Warner, who took the team to 59-2 at the end of the powerplay.
He was removed in the 12th over after a well compiled 34-ball 49, falling to young India fast bowler Avesh Khan.
Delhi subsequently fell behind the run rate before a late innings counterattack by South African Tristan Stubbs who finished with an unbeaten 23-ball 44.
Avesh bowled a tight last over to seal a 12-run victory.
Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal finished his three overs with 2-19 while Burger had 2-29.
Losing captain Pant said that he was “definitely disappointed.”
Pant, who hopes to make a comeback to the Indian team after his long injury layoff ahead of the T20 World Cup this summer, made 28 off 26 balls.
“The best thing to do from here is to learn from it,” he added.
‘Very special’ Parag powers Rajasthan Royals to IPL win over Delhi Capitals
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‘Very special’ Parag powers Rajasthan Royals to IPL win over Delhi Capitals
- Parag, who reached his 50 off 34 balls, cracked 25 runs with three fours and two sixes off the final over
Desert Vipers cruise to 8-wicket ILT20 victory over Gulf Giants
- Bowler Khuzaima Tanveer is the star in the field with a record-breaking powerplay performance that set the foundation for a comfortable win
- Unbeaten 123-run batting partnership between Sam Curran and Max Holden ensures Vipers maintain 100% record after 5 matches
DUBAI: A brilliant performance by the Desert Vipers was rewarded with a fifth-straight win in the International League T20 on Friday, as they beat Gulf Giants by eight wickets to maintain their 100 percent record for the season.
After a fielding display led by a strong powerplay performance from Khuzaima Tanveer during which he took four wickets, an unbeaten 123-run batting partnership between Sam Curran and Max Holden made light work of the target set by the Giants at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Tanveer finished 4 for 10 in the first innings, an ILT20 record for a UAE bowler, and he also became the first to claim four wickets in the powerplay. His early attack kept the Giants on the back foot throughout, restricting them to 157/7 in 20 overs.
When it was the Vipers’ turn to bat, Curran’s unbeaten 67 off 43 balls, including five fours and three sixes, complemented Holden’s 64 runs off 41 balls as they chased the target and reached it with ease. It was the Vipers’ sixth straight win over the Giants.
Fakhar Zaman (14 off 8) was the first Viper to fall, in the second over, courtesy of a beautiful delivery by Chris Wood. Holden kept the runs flowing, however, and other than a run out of Hassan Nawaz (7 off 9) in the fourth over, the Vipers looked to be in complete control of the chase, finishing the powerplay at 53 for 2.
Curran joined the attack at the start of the fifth over. He smashed 19 runs off Liam Dawson, including three sixes, considerably reducing the required run rate. His power hitting continued off Kyle Mayers, and he completed his half-century in just 32 balls with a lovely four, scoring 18 runs in the 14th over.
The Vipers continued to build momentum and Holden joined Curran on the half-century list in just 31 balls, also with a four. Their partnership kept the scoreboard ticking over as they found regular boundaries while also rotating the strike.
The likes of Wood and Mark Adair were unable to keep them in check as they built an unbeaten 123-run partnership in just 77 balls, reaching the target in 16.5 overs.
Earlier, Tanveer made quick inroads into the Giants top order, striking twice in the second over: first removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (2 off 4) with a superb delivery, then James Vince (0 off 2), who edged behind.
He picked up another out in the fourth, removing the dangerous Pathum Nissanka (19 off 12), and struck again in the sixth as Gerhard Erasmus (4 off 9) nicked to slip. A dominant powerplay left the Giants reeling at 30/4.
Mayers (30 off 24) briefly lifted the innings for the Giants when he took 18 off David Payne in the ninth over, but Noor Ahmad trapped him LBW to halt the momentum at 67/5 midway through the inning.
Asif Khan (36 off 38) held one end but the Vipers maintained control as Tom Curran removed Azmatullah Omarzai (20 off 15), and Ahmad dismissed Adair (1 off 2) soon after.
A late Dawson assault rescued the Giants somewhat as he smashed Lockie Ferguson for 16 in the 19th over and followed this up with a 21-run final over. He finished unbeaten on a blazing 38 off 14 (including three fours and three sixes), lifting his side’s total to a competitive 157/7.
Desert Vipers captain Ferguson said: “Tanveer has been outstanding for us all season. He was brilliant last year, too, winning games with the bat, and tonight he was exceptional with the ball.
“He’s played a lot of cricket recently, his rhythm is spot on, and the ball is coming out beautifully. He’s in a really good space. It was also great to see Max and Sam put together a big partnership.”
Vince, the Gulf Giants captain, said: “Tanveer bowled exceptionally well; full credit to him. We’ll probably look back and think about what we could have done differently but we were on the back foot early. We did well to recover to 157.
“This was the first match of the tournament where we were outplayed from the start. We were simply outplayed today, though the dew was a factor.”
