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Rahul, Jaiswal shine as Delhi, Rajasthan seal wins
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal led dominant performances as Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals secured impressive IPL victories on April 5
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AFP - Sat, 05, Apr 2025
- 14:52 EDT
- 95
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Delhi Capitals / X/DelhiCapitals
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal starred in Delhi Capitals' and Rajasthan Royals’ emphatic wins respectively as both teams secured important victories in the Indian Premier League on April 5.
KL Rahul struck 77 on his return as opening batsman to help Delhi Capitals beat Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs for their third successive victory. Electing to bat, Delhi reached 183-6 as they rode on Rahul's 51-ball knock that included key partnerships at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Delhi bowlers combined to restrict five-time winners Chennai to 158-5 and stay unbeaten in this edition of the popular T20 tournament. Chennai slipped to their third successive loss and second at home this season. Delhi batters set up victory with Rahul playing an anchor role after taking over as opener from South Africa's Faf du Plessis who was not fit for the match.
Also read: Marsh, Markram help Lucknow edge Mumbai in IPL
In reply, Chennai were never in the chase despite Vijay Shankar's valiant 69 not out.Opener Rachin Ravindra fell caught and bowled, for three, off pace bowler Mukesh Kumar and Australia's left-arm quick Mitchell Starc took down skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for five.
Wickets kept tumbling with New Zealand's Devon Conway out for 13 in his first match for Chennai this season and impact substitute Shivam Dube dismissed for 18. Former captain M.S. Dhoni walked out to loud cheers in the 11th over after Jadeja's departure but the once top finisher in international cricket again proved a pale shadow of his former self.
The 43-year-old Dhoni, whose family including his parents -- a rarity -- were in attendance at the ground, made 30 off 26 deliveries in an underwhelming show by him and his team.
Meanwhile in Mullanpur near Chandigarh, Rajasthan Royals thrashed Punjab Kings by 50 runs, registering their highest score at the venue — 205-4 — thanks to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blistering 67 off 45 balls.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Samson's 38 in his return to captaincy this season and an unbeaten 43 off 25 balls by Riyan Parag made Rajasthan breach the 200-run mark for the first time at the venue in six matches. Inaugural champions Rajasthan then restricted the opposition to 155-9 despite Nehal Wadhera's 41-ball 62 and hand Punjab their first loss of the season in three matches.
Rajasthan's England import Jofra Archer took two wickets in the first over of the chase and returned figures of 3-25. Jaiswal started cautiously after scores of one, 29 and four in his first three outings, but soon found his groove as he took on the bowlers alongside Samson, who played the previous matches only as a batsman when Parag stood in as captain.
The Indian opener smashed three fours and five sixes in a calculated knock. Previous match hero Nitish Rana made 12 before Marco Jansen had him caught on the fence but Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, who hit 20, boosted the total.
The left-handed Hetmyer departed in the 19th over before Parag and Dhruv Jurel, who hit a six and four, managed 19 runs from the last six balls. In the chase, pace spearhead Archer bowled Priyansh Arya with the first ball of the innings and then bowled Shreyas Iyer as well for 10 on the sixth delivery of the first over, although this owed more to the captain's ugly slog than the bowler's guile.
With Marcus Stoinis falling caught and bowled off Sandeep Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh dismissed by Kumar Kartikeya, for 17, Rajasthan slipped to 43-4. The left-handed Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell, who hit 30, attempted to mount a comeback in a threatening partnership of 88 before Maheesh Theekshana broke through. Theekshana had Maxwell caught in the deep and fellow Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga sent back Wadhera on the first ball of the next over to derail the chase.
Both Delhi and Rajasthan remain unbeaten in the tournament, displaying balance in both batting and bowling departments.
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