Rajasthan Royals scored a commanding victory over Delhi Daredevils and is a step away from securing a place in the IPL-7 playoffs. With 14 points from 11 matches, it is only two points below leader Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings.
It was virtually a one-sided contest that saw the home team thump Daredevils by 62 runs, with a stylish, undefeated knock of 61 by Manoj Tiwary averting a complete collapse.
The absence of Shane Watson from its ranks, owing to an unspecified niggle, did not deter the home team from posting its first 200-plus total of the season.
Put in to bat, the Royals run-rate never flagged during the course of the first session with Ajinkya Rahane (64, 50b, 8x4, 1x6) in full flow.
Rousing start After a rousing start of 44 for the first wicket and 50 for 1 (at.8.33) by the end of the Power-Play overs, West Indian Kevin Cooper, given the license to hit out, played some thundering front-foot strokes off left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, Duminy and Manoj Tiwary.
He scored 32 off 16 balls with two fours and three sixes.
On no less than 11 occasions, the Daredevils gave away 10-plus runs an over with seamer Siddharth Kaul and leg-spinner Tiwary put away for 17 runs each in the 15th and 19th overs.
After Cooper’s dismissal, the Royals’ ever-reliable Sanju Viswanadh once again demonstrated his fearless attitude that delivered 40 splendid runs with two fours and three sixes in his 25-ball tenure in the middle.
The brilliant shots from the blades of Rahane, Cooper and Viswanadh provided entertainment for an almost full house.
Australian Faulkner gave a fitting finish with three huge sixes and helped his side post a formidable, match-winning score.
Scoreboard:
Rajasthan Royals: A. Rahane b Nadeem 64 (50b, 8x4, 1x6), Karun lbw b Nadeem 19 (14b, 1x4, 1x6), K. Cooper c Shukla b Duminy 32 (16b, 2x4, 3x6), S. Vishwanadh c Jadhav b Tahir 40 (25b, 2x4, 3x6), S. Binny st. Karthik b Tahir 0 (2b), B. Cutting run out 8 (6b, 1x6), J. Faulkner (not out) 23 (8b, 3x6); Extras (lb-10, nb-1, w-4): 15;
Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 201.
Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Karun), 2-93 (Cooper), 3-167 (Rahane), 4-168 (Binny), 5-169 (Vishwanadh), 6-201 (Cutting).
Delhi Daredevils bowling: Duminy 3-0-25-1, Shukla 4-0-44-0, Kaul 3-0-34-0, Nadeem 4-0-35-2, Tahir 4-0-25-2, Tiwary 2-0-28-0.
Delhi Daredevils: K. Pietersen b Bhatia 13 (18b, 1x4), M. Agarwal c Smith b Faulkner 17 (10b, 3x4), D. Karthik c Cutting b Kulkarni 3 (8b), J-P. Duminy c Karun b Tambe 8 (8b, 1x6), M. Tiwary (not out) 61 (44b, 5x4, 2x6), R. Taylor c & b Bhatia 4 (5b), K. Jadhav run out 3 (3b), S. Nadeem b Cutting 1 (4b), I. Tahir b Binny 4 (6b, 1x4), R. Shukla c Smith b Cooper 14 (12b, 2x4), S. Kaul (not out) 2 (2b); Extras (lb-3, w-6): 9;
Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 139.
Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Agarwal), 2-30 (Karthik), 3-43 (Duminy), 4-48 (Pietersen), 5-58 (Taylor), 6-75 (Jadhav), 7-86 (Nadeem), 8-91 (Tahir), 9-120 (Shukla).
Rajasthan Royals bowling: Kulkarni 4-1-24-1, Cutting 4-0-31-1, Faulkner 1-0-6-1, Cooper 3-0-19-1, Tambe 3-0-24-1, Bhatia 3-0-18-2, Binny 2-0-14-1.
Man-of-the-match: A. Rahane.
Rajasthan Royals won by 62 runs.
