Delhi Capitals (DC) kept their slim hopes of making the playoffs alive by beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by five wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Chasing 194, they were led by half-centuries from Abhishek Porel and KL Rahul. While they slowed down in the middle overs, Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma took them home with four balls to spare.

Earlier, after DC opted to bowl, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 21-ball 46 and Riyan Parag’s 26-ball 51 took RR to 160 for 2 in 14 overs. They must have eyed at least 220 at that stage, but Mitchell Starc’s  three wickets in the 15th over derailed them. As a result, they could score only 33 in the last six overs and finished on 193 for 8. For DC, Starc picked up 4 for 40, Lungi Ngidi 2 for 24 and Madhav Tiwari 2 for 27.

Yashasvi Jaiswal got RR going by hitting Starc for three fours in the opening over. From the other end, Sooryavanshi opened his account with a first-ball six off Ngidi. Ngidi did bounce back by having Jaiswal caught at short third with a slower ball, but there was no stopping Sooryavanshi. Living dangerously, he hit debutant offspinner T Vijay for three fours and a six in the fifth over. Dhruv Jurel joined the festivities by hitting Mukesh Kumar for 4, 6, 4 off successive balls in the sixth over as RR ended the powerplay on 75 for 1.

Sooryavanshi was eventually caught at long-on off Tiwari but Parag ensured the momentum wasn’t lost. After hitting Axar for two sixes in three balls, he went 6, 4, 6, 6 against Mukesh in a 23-run 12th over, after which RR were 140 for 2. Soon after, Parag reached his ninth IPL fifty. Coming off just 23 balls, it was his fastest.

In search of wickets, Axar returned to Starc for the 15th over, and the seamer didn’t disappoint his captain. With a slower ball, he had Parag caught at long-on. Donovan Ferreira lasted just one ball, also getting caught at long-on. Ravi Singh flicked the hat-trick ball, a full toss for four, but Starc had him lbw off the next ball. It was once again a slower ball. Ravi was way too early into the shot, and even the DRS couldn’t save him.

When Tiwari dismissed Shubham Dubey in the 17th over, RR decided to bring in Dasun Shanaka as their Impact Player. Starc removed him as well with the penultimate ball of his spell. It was a low full toss from around the wicket. Shanaka tried to go big but was caught at long-off. Despite Jurel scoring 53 off 40, RR fell seven short of 200.

Jofra Archer could have had another first-over wicket when Rahul, yet to open his account, flicked him to short fine leg. But Yash Raj Punja dropped an easy catch. After that, Rahul and Porel picked up regular boundaries, with Porel leading the way. The pair took the side to 72 for no loss after six overs. This was DC’s best powerplay of the season, bettering their 70 for no loss in the reverse fixture.

DC were 85 for no loss after seven overs. The next seven overs, though, brought only 45 runs. Punja triggered the slowdown with a four-run over. It was also the first boundary-less over of the innings.

Porel brought up his fifty off 29 balls but fell soon after. Trying to take on Brijesh Sharma, he was caught at long-on. Rahul had the same fate. He chopped Shanaka onto his stumps for 56 off 42 balls. Punja conceded only 29 from his four but Axar kept DC in the hunt with a boundary here and there. After 14 overs, they were 130 for 2, needing 64 from the remaining six.

Archer pegged DC back in the 17th over, conceding only eight and dismissing Tristan Stubbs. It left them needing 35 from three overs. With two left-hand batters – Axar and David Miller – in the middle, Parag went with Ferreira’s offspin over Shanaka’s military medium. The move backfired as Axar and Miller hit a six each in a 16-run over. Brijesh gave RR some hope by removing Miller with the first ball of the 19th but Ashutosh heaved the second ball he faced over deep midwicket for a six. With seven needed from the final over, Ashutosh hit a four and a six to finish the game.

Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 197 for 5 in 19.2 overs (Abhishek Porel 51, KL Rahul 56,  Axar Patel 34*, Ashutosh Sharma 18*; Jofra Archer 2-35, Brijesh Sharma 2-44, Dasun Shanaka 1-29) beat Rajasthan Royals 193 for 8 in 20 overs  (Yashasvi Jaiswal 12,  Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 46, Dhruv Jurel 53, Riyan Parag 51,  Dasun Shanaka 10; Mitchell Starc 4-40, Lungi Ngidi 2-24, Madhav Tiwari 2-27) by five wickets

[Cricinfo]