Skipper Sanju Samson's 86 points went in vain as Delhi Capitals defeated Rajasthan Royals by 20 runs on Tuesday to qualify for the IPL playoffs.
Delhi posted 221-8 at their home Feroz Shah Kotla ground thanks to Jake Fraser-McGurk's 20-ball 50 and Abhishek Porel's attacking 65.
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Rajasthan put up a strong showing after Samson played for the first time in five-and-a-half games this season, but the game tilted in Delhi's favor after Samson was sent off for a deep catch that the third umpire ruled clean. Ta.
Rajasthan, who are yet to qualify for the play-offs, lost three more wickets in the next two overs as Delhi limited their opponents to 201-8 and claimed their sixth win in 12 matches.
“We had it in our hands. 10-11 runs per over was attainable. But these things happen in the IPL,” Samson said after the defeat.
Inaugural champions Rajasthan are second behind leaders Kolkata Knight Riders, with eight wins from 11 matches, and remain favorites to finish in the top two in the play-offs.
The top four teams will advance to the play-offs, but the first and second-placed teams will have the advantage of winning extra time and advancing to the finals to be held in Chennai on May 26.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned impressive figures of 2 wins and 25 losses. Fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar also took two wickets.
However, the batting line set up the victory as Fraser-McGuurk scored 50 points with 19 balls and Porrell attacked with the first run of 60 points.
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Fraser McGuirk weighs half a ton, so he currently has the most 50s with three balls under 20 balls, considering it is only his seventh IPL match. , the numbers are even more surprising.
Despite the Australian star's recent heroics in the IPL, he was left out of Australia's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup despite feeling he had no place in the squad.
After the opener's dismissal, Rajasthan lost a wicket but Tristan Stubbs made a late charge and scored 41 off 20 balls to take the total to 221-8.
Stubbs was helped by Gulbadin Naib, who hit 19, and Rasik Salam, who hit 2 sixes for nine runs, as Delhi scored 53 runs with three overs remaining.
Samson, who was in great form as a wicketkeeper-batsman and amassed 459 runs, looked to give chase, but in the 16th over, Shai Hope caught the batsman from Kumar and departed.
Hope's feet were parallel to the boundary line rope, but the third umpire ruled it out and a disappointed Samson chatted with on-field officials before walking back.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led the Rajasthan bowling with 3 wins and 24 losses.
Yuzvendra Chahal took skipper left-handed batsman Rishabh Pant's catch for 15 at fine leg, taking his 350th T20 wicket and becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat.