What a Game! What began as a rather dull encounter between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) turned into a thriller at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. With RR needing just 9 runs off the final over, Mitchell Starc produced a sensational last over, forcing the first Super Over of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Chasing 189, RR managed 188/4 in their 20 overs.
Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag opened the Super Over for RR, with many surprised that the in-form Nitish Rana didn't walk out to bat ¡ª a decision that left the commentators questioning the move.?Despite two run-outs, including Yashasvi Jaiswal who was dismissed right after arriving at the crease, RR managed to score 12 runs in 5 balls, courtesy of Starc's tight bowling and DC's sharp fielding.?
In reply, DC needed 13 runs to win. KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs stepped up for DC. Rahul struck a two and a boundary, before rotating the strike on the third ball. With 5 runs required from 3 deliveries, Stubbs sealed the deal in style, launching a huge six that sent the Delhi crowd into a frenzy.
Many fans, who had been disappointed with this year¡¯s IPL ¡ª with several one-sided matches ¡ª were finally thrilled to witness one of the few closely fought contests. Many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share their excitement after a tense, hard-fought game.
One wrote, "IPL is IPLing¡ All thanks to Jay Shah."
Another said, "IPL is IPLING! What a match ¡ª first Super Over of IPL 2025. Starc destroyed Sanju Samson's winning moment."
A fan posted, "Finally, a Super Over¡ IPL is IPLing!"
And another stated, "Jay Shah, scriptwriter for a reason¡ IPL is IPLing."
After being asked to bat first, DC posted a competitive 188/5. Abhishek Porel laid a solid foundation with a 37-ball 49, while KL Rahul added 38 off 32 balls as the pair batted steadily through the middle overs. The momentum shifted in the final stretch, with Axar Patel smashing a rapid 34 off 14 deliveries and Tristan Stubbs finishing unbeaten on 34 from 18 balls. ?
Their late surge, combined with Sandeep Sharma's costly 23-run final over, pushed DC past the 175-run mark ¡ª a total that ultimately proved crucial. RR struggled in the field, dropping catches and misfielding at key moments.
In the chase, RR began strongly with Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 off 37) and Sanju Samson (31 off 19) giving them a steady start. However, misfortune struck when Samson missed a cut shot and immediately grabbed his side, forced to retire hurt.?
Riyan Parag (8 off 11) failed to capitalize, falling cheaply, but Nitish Rana (51 off 28), coming in at No. 4, joined Jaiswal to keep the chase alive. DC spinners, however, tightened their grip and the scorecard read 73 off 36 balls by the second timeout. RR fought back, but it took Mitchell Starc's brilliance that dragged DC back into the contest. ??
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Nitish Rana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande
Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma
Impact Subs: Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay?
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