All the build-up around the Rajasthan Royals versus Delhi Capitals clash in Jaipur on Friday (May 1) revolved around how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would fare against Mitchell Starc. A play within a play, this was looked at as one of the decisive factors in a crucial mid-table tussle, for RR openers had contributed 43.6% of the team runs across their first nine games in the tournament.
Yashasvi Jaiswal started the innings with a six for a record fourth time in the IPL, but fell to Starc two balls later. Sooryavanshi drilled his first ball for a four down the ground as Kyle Jamieson missed his length by a fraction, before redeeming himself with a perfect yorker to castle the youngster. Within two overs, DC had got rid of the two RR lynchpins.
And yet, they ended up conceding 225/6 – the third time in four outings they conceded as many or more. Their openers helped them gun down the target without much fuss, continuing the tournament’s run-chase tradition. Their recurring bowling struggles however, could leave them behind in the race to the playoffs.