In an enthralling first innings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals (DC) posted a formidable 188/5 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash, thanks to explosive finishes from Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, and a dramatic final over marred by misfields and extras.
DC’s innings got off to a brisk start, with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel attacking the new ball. While Fraser-McGurk fell early to Jofra Archer for 9, Porel kept the momentum going, hammering five consecutive boundaries off Tushar Deshpande to rack up a 23-run over. Porel, however, narrowly missed out on a half-century, getting dismissed for 49 after a fortunate escape when RR chose not to review a potential caught-behind appeal.
KL Rahul, leading the side, looked composed in the middle overs. He struck some elegant boundaries before miscuing a pull off Archer to deep midwicket for 38. Karun Nair’s stay was short-lived as a mix-up with Porel led to a run-out without scoring.
It was Axar Patel who turned the tide in the death overs with a scintillating cameo. The DC skipper hammered three consecutive boundaries off Wanindu Hasaranga and continued his aggression against Theekshana before falling for 34 off just 14 balls. His knock laid the platform for a strong finish.
Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma then provided the final flourish. Stubbs remained unbeaten on 34 off 18 deliveries, while Ashutosh contributed 14 not out. The pair added 77 runs in the final five overs, capitalizing on a wayward final over from Sandeep Sharma that included four wides and a no-ball.
To compound RR’s woes, Maheesh Theekshana dropped a regulation catch on the last ball of the innings, letting Stubbs off the hook and adding salt to the bowler’s wounds.
Rajasthan Royals, who won the toss and opted to bowl first, maintained a largely disciplined performance in the middle overs. However, their death bowling unraveled under pressure, conceding 77 in the last 30 balls.
Speaking at the toss, RR skipper Sanju Samson said, “We’ll bowl first, looks like a good wicket. Gets better in the second half. It’s a competitive league, so we need to look past results sometimes.”
DC captain Axar Patel, who would have preferred to bowl, remarked, “We’re ready to bat first and put up a big score. Last game we chased well, just need to correct a few overs. We’ve learned and regrouped.”
Both teams went unchanged, with Jake Fraser-McGurk retaining his place in the XI despite pre-match chatter.
With a target of 189, Rajasthan Royals will now need a strong batting display to chase down DC’s competitive total under lights.
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