IPL 2020 Points Table: Latest Standings after DC edge past RR in a thrilling contest
The Delhi Capitals (DC) emerged victorious over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 13 runs in Match 30 of IPL 2020, which was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
After electing to bat first, the Capitals got off to a horrid start as Prithvi Shaw was castled on the first ball of the match, and had to walk back without troubling the scorers.
Ajinkya Rahane was unable to steady the ship as the veteran departed soon after miscuing a pull for just 2 runs off 9 deliveries. Shikhar Dhawan then joined hands with skipper Shreyas Iyer as the duo put up a gritty 85-run partnership for the third wicket.
Dhawan was unaffected by the fall of wickets as he scored runs at a brisk pace, and finished with a 33-ball 57 before Shreyas Gopal got the better of him. Iyer too reached his half-century mark but had to walk back for a well-made 43-ball 53 just as he was looking to take on the role of the aggressor.
The fall of wickets in quick succession put a halt on the flow of runs, and the momentum shifted drastically from there on as the Royals' bowlers clawed their way back into the match. Marcus Stoinis scored a slow 19-ball 18, while Alex Carey could manage only 14 runs from his 13-ball stay at the crease.
The Capitals went from being 132/4 at the end of the 16th over to 161/7 from their allotted quota of 20 overs courtesy a brilliant bowling display from the RR bowlers. Jofra Archer had a successful outing as he returned with figures of 3-19 from his four overs. Interestingly, the Englishman picked up wickets on the first as well as the last delivery that he bowled in this match.
Jaydev Unadkat snared two wickets in the final over and finished with 2-32 from the three overs that he bowled, while Kartik Tyagi and Shreyas Gopal chipped in with a wicket each.
Chasing 162 for victory, RR got off to a flier courtesy Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, as they put on 37 runs for the first wicket in quick time. Buttler departed for a 9-ball 22 after Anrich Nortje cleaned him up. Steve Smith's poor form continued as the Australian scored a solitary run before chipping one back to Ashwin.
Sanju Samson scored an 18-ball 25 while Robin Uthappa found some form with the bat in hand, scoring a 27-ball 32. Riyan Parag was involved in a mix-up with Uthappa, and was run-out for just one run.
The fall of wickets allowed the Capitals to make a grand comeback as the Royals were unable to score 39 runs off the last five overs. Rahul Tewatia was unable to replicate his previous performances as the all-rounder played a slow 18-ball 14, which tilted the game in DC's favour.
It was a successful outing for each of the DC bowlers as Anrich Nortje and Tushar Deshpande returned with a couple of wickets each while Rabada, Ashwin and Axar Patel picked up a wicket each themselves. The Royals will rue the missed opportunity to grab two crucial points while DC will be ecstatic with the Houdini act that they have pulled off tonight.
IPL 2020: Updated Points Table
With this win over the Royals, the Delhi Capitals reclaim the top spot in the points table, displacing Mumbai Indians in the process. The rest of the standings are not affected by this match as the Royals continue in seventh place.
The Kings XI Punjab will be hoping to pick up a win and rekindle their qualification hopes tomorrow as they take on a strong Royal Challengers Bangalore side at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. A high-scoring affair will be on the cards as batting juggernauts like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul will lock horns tomorrow.