Rajasthan Royals successfully chased the target of 185 runs by 3 wickets through a dramatic last ball boundary.
Match Report (IPL 2015): Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, Delhi, April 12, 2015.
Rajasthan Royals after winning the toss gave Delhi Daredevils a chance to set the target for them. The highlight of the game was sloppy fielding besides players’ shots. Both sides did their best to waste as many chances as they can.
Openers provided Daredevils a solid start and they were just two down with 93 runs by 10th over and keeping the pace they were supposed to put a tough target on scoreboard for Royals but their bowlers put effort and Pravin Tambe and Deepak Hooda restricted Daredevils and they managed to score just 38 runs in seven overs and one wicket.
At that time it seemed that Daredevils will waste the good start their batsmen provided as they were 145 with 3 down in 18 overs. But thanks to Ajinkya Rahane who dropped Angelo Mathews when he was 5 off 4 & he hit James Faulkner down long-on's throat. And Mathews took advantage of the chance he got and scored 27 off 14 and helped Daredevils post impressive 184 runs on board.
In its chase, Royals’ openers provided a decent start but then Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir revived hopes of victory for Daredevils through their impressive bowling. Mishra struck in his first two overs, and sent Steven Smith and Karun Nair back, and in the next over Tahir attacked and Royals were left struggling with 78 for four.
Daredevils could have grasped a victory only if they concentrated on fielding. Hooda was given two lives and he rightly took advantage of it by smashing four powerful sixes in his 25-ball 54. First it was in 14th over when Yuvraj Singh failed to collect a throw right beside the stumps. In the next over, Hooda while trying to hit boundaries to bring down the asking rate, gave a chance to be caught at deep midwicket, but Manoj Tiwary just parried it over.
Royals’ needed 19 runs off last 11 balls when Tahir hit twice in the 18th over and got both Hooda and James Faulkner out. With Tim Southee and Chris Morris on the crease Royals’ needed 3 runs off the last ball and Southee in a dramatic way hit the boundary and brough celebration in the Royals’ camp.
Daredevils however failed to break their losing streak and with this 11th defeat they now share the joint-longest losing streak in IPL record with Pune Warriors.
Scorecard:
Rajasthan Royals 186 for 7 (Hooda 54, Rahane 47) beat Delhi Daredevils 184 for 3 (Duminy 44*, Iyer 40).
Player(s) of the Match: DJ Hooda (Rajasthan Royals)
Disappointment of the Day: JP Faulkner (Delhi Daredevils)