नवीनतम
Delhi seek first win at home against Rajasthan
Riding high on a four-match winning streak, the Axar Patelled Capitals looked like a welloiledmachinebefore a stunning batting meltdown against Mumbai Indians halted their momentum here on Sunday. What was meant to be a triumphant return to base ended in despair as the loss saw them slip tosecondon thepoints table. In contrast, Rajasthan Royals find themselves in a precarious position with just two wins from six matches, languishing at eighth. Their season has been marred by inconsistency.
Impact substituteKarun Nair, fresh off a prolific domestic season, ledDelhi’s chase againstMI with a dazzling 89 in pursuit of 206 in their first game at the Feroze Shah Kotla this season. At119-1in 10overs, thematch looked all but sealed. But what followedwasajaw-droppingcollapse,whichincluded threerunoutsin the penultimateover. DC were eventually bowled out for 193 in a chase of 205.
Though the Capitals will undoubtedly rue the missed opportunity of collecting two points, they have little time to dwell on the defeat with another crucial clash looming. Once again, the spinners will hold the key for Delhi. Despite thechallengeof the eveningdew, wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and 20-year-old Vipraj Nigamwill look to weaving their magic.Both these bowlers have beenDC’s stand-out performers thisseason, their spin variationsbamboozlingoppositionbatters.However, skipper Axar Patel isyet to leave hismark. As captain,hehasled the side admirablybutthe left-arm spinner has gonewicket-less in 14 overs across sixmatches, conceding runs at aneconomy that is a touch lowerthan 10. Known for his battingheroics as well, the all-rounderis yet to get going in the tournament.YoungJakeFraser-McGurk,who set the stage ablazelast season with his power-hitting, hasbeen a shadow of his former selfthis time around. His high-riskgame has completely backfired,yieldingameagre46runs,including two ducks.
With Faf du Plessis still sidelined due to injury, Nair looks tohave firmly secured his spot inthe team. Delhi’s middle-orderlooks strong this season thanksto the experience of KL Rahul,the firepower of Tristan Stubbs,AshutoshSharma,and thepromising Nigam.
