IPL 2018, DD vs RR: Four reasons why Rajasthan Royals lost to Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils hosted Rajasthan Royals in a crucial game at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Both teams were languishing in the bottom half of the points table and needed a win to rejuvenate their IPL campaign.
Rajasthan won the toss and opted to field first. It didn't start well for both teams as the rain gods opened up just before the commencement of the game. Ninety minutes later, the match began and the contest was reduced to 18 overs per side.
The Royals got off to the perfect start as Colin Munro was snapped up by Kulkarni in just the fourth ball.
Young Prithvi Shaw and Captain Shreyas Iyer came together and blasted the Royals’ bowlers to all corners of the Kotla before the former was sent packing by Gopal. The wicket of Shaw did not derail the Delhi team as Pant came out with a positive mindset and started pummeling the bowlers.
The rains came back again and halted the Daredevils’ innings. Delhi’s innings finished abruptly on 196 for 6 in 17.1 overs as Rajasthan were set a revised target of 151 in 12 overs.
Chasing 151, Rahane sent Buttler to open the innings with D’Arcy Short. The move to open with Buttler proved to be a masterstroke as the Lancashire lad hammered an 18-ball fifty to keep the Royals in the hunt.
Once Butter was undone by a Mishra googly, the run rate crept up and the Royals lost a flurry of wickets. Some late hitting by Short and Gowtham bought Rajasthan closer to the target but Delhi held their nerve and pulled off a spectacular four-run win.
Let's take a look at the reasons behind Rajasthan's loss.
#1 Lack of picking up early wickets
Rajasthan had won the toss and elected to bowl first. They knew early wickets would be key and they did get one in the form of Munro who was dismissed for a golden duck by Kulkarni.
They needed more wickets at the top but Shaw and Iyer ensured that it did not happen as they tore into the Rajasthan bowling and made brilliant use of the shortened powerplay despite the early loss of Munro.