Delhi Capitals scripted a record-breaking chase to defeat Rajasthan Royals after overhauling a daunting 226-run target in their Indian Premier League clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday night.
Chasing 226, Delhi sealed the match with five balls to spare, registering their highest successful run chase in IPL history. The win also marked their fourth victory of the season, pushing them to sixth place on the points table, while Rajasthan Royals remained in fourth with six wins from 10 matches.
The chase was built on commanding contributions from KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka, who dismantled the Royals’ bowling attack early on. The duo added 70 runs in the powerplay and stitched together a 110-run opening partnership that set the tone for the chase.
Nissanka led the charge with a fluent 62 off 33 balls before being dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja in the 10th over. Rahul continued to anchor the innings, eventually scoring 75 off 45 deliveries before falling to Jofra Archer.
Earlier, Nitish Rana provided momentum in the middle overs with a brisk 33 off 17 balls. Despite his dismissal following a successful review off Tushar Deshpande, Delhi remained firmly in control at 173/2 after 15 overs, needing 53 runs from the final five overs.
The finishing touches came from Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs, who accelerated in the death overs. The pair struck 16 runs off Deshpande in the 18th over and guided Delhi home comfortably, sealing the victory with seven wickets in hand.
Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals had posted a formidable 225/6, powered by a standout innings from skipper Riyan Parag and a late onslaught from Donovan Ferreira.
Parag led the recovery after early setbacks, scoring a commanding 90 off 50 balls, including eight fours and five sixes. His innings came after Rajasthan were reduced to 12/2 inside two overs, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cheaply to Mitchell Starc and Kyle Jamieson respectively.
© instagram.com/rajasthanroyalsParag found support in Dhruv Jurel, who contributed 42 off 30 balls as the pair added 102 runs for the third wicket. The innings gained further momentum in the death overs, with Ferreira smashing 47 off just 14 balls at a strike rate exceeding 300. He took apart Kuldeep Yadav and Starc, helping Rajasthan cross the 200-run mark with ease.
Starc, however, stood out with the ball for Delhi, picking up three key wickets, including Parag and Jadeja, while Jamieson, Axar Patel and T Natarajan chipped in with one wicket each.
Despite Rajasthan’s strong total, Delhi’s clinical chase ensured they walked away with a landmark win in Jaipur.
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