Rajasthan Royals won their second match on the trot and while their bowlers may have delivered under pressure, it was young Riyan Parag who set up the win.
Match No. 9 at the Sawai Mansingh stadium wasn't a run-fest, but it did churn out some notable performances with the willow.
A look at the best batters in the DC-RR game on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
Riyan Parag
Questions have been raised over Royals handing Parag the crucial No. 4 spot. But the youngster has repaid the faith.
Coming in at No. 4 in RR's opener against the Lucknow Super Giants, Parag began his new role with a quickfire 43 off 29 and the youngster further strengthened his hold in the line-up with an unbeaten 45-ball 84 against the Capitals.
When the 22 year old walked in, his team was struggling at 30 for 2 in the sixth over. Repaying the faith the team management has shown in him, the Assamese all-rounder single-handedly took the Royals to a challenging total.
Parag stitched together three crucial partnerships. First the youngster steadied Royals' innings with a 37-ball 54 run stand for the fourth wicket with R Ashwin. While Ashwin was in the middle, Parag was happy playing second fiddle with the occasional boundary.
But come the 15th over, Parag shifted gears, taking the Delhi bowlers to the cleaners. Parag added 52 off 23 for the fifth wicket with Dhruv Jurel, while he put up an unbeaten 43 off 16 with Shimron Hetmyer for the sixth wicket.
Parag who had a quiet start, put his foot on the peddle in the 15th over hammering DC's best bowler for the day. The youngster smashed Khaleel Ahmed for 6-4-4.
The batter brought up his half-century in style with a cracking six. His fifty came off 34 deliveries. Parag's acceleration had the Jaipur crowd on its feet as his last 19 balls saw him score 58 runs. He saved his best for the last as he hammered Anrich Nortje for 25 runs.
With Nortje bowling the final over, Parag smashed the South African for 4-4-6-4-6-1 to take Royals to a match-winning total.
Parag's knock -- his highest T20 score -- saw him adjudged the Player of the Match.
Scoring at a rate of 186.66, his knock was peppered with seven boundaries and six sixes.
R Ashwin
With the Royals struggling to build partnerships, the hosts in a surprise move sent Ashwin up the order at No. 5.
And Ashwin's knock was just what the doctor had prescribed for Sanju Samson's side was struggling at 36/3 in the eighth over. The veteran steadied the ship with an important partnership with young Parag.
The pair put up the highest partnership for the Royals in their match against DC, with Ashwin scoring the bulk of the runs. Ashwin's score may not be a big one, but it was an important knock to stabilise the innings and put the pressure back on the Capitals.
After Delhi enjoyed a fruitful Powerplay, restricting the hosts to 31 for 2, Ashwin set the board ticking with a 19-ball 29.
When Ashwin came into bat, it was a spinner versus spinner contest as he faced his India team-mate Kuldeep Yadav. Ashwin hammered the first six of the Royals innings, smashing Kuldeep over long-on for a 84-metre cracker.
Ashwin's innings set the stage for the young Parag to take charge. Eventually trying to clear midwicket of an Axar Patel delivery, Ashwin was picked up by Tristan Stubbs. But his cameo was an important one for the Royals.
Ashwin's knock was peppered with three maximums.
David Warner
One of the most iconic players of the league, Warner once again put up a solid show with the bat.
With the Capitals needing 186 to win, Warner and Mitchell Marsh got off to a positive start. Though the hard-hitting Marsh perished after a couple of big hits, Warner kept the Capitals on course with a solid knock.
Following Nandre Burger's double strike, which saw Marsh (23) and Ricky Bhui (0) depart in quick succession, Warner stitched together a strong stand with Rishabh Pant. The Australian opener, who got off to a cautious start, was in good flow as he smashed three sixes and five boundaries.
With Warner out in the middle, the Royals looked set to end up on the losing side. But a stunning catch from Sandeep Sharma denied the Australia his half-century as he fell on 49.
Warner's 34-ball 49 was the highest score for the Delhi side and one of their positives on a day when they ended up on the losing side.
Tristan Stubbs
The young South African almost snatched the game away from the Delhi Capitals with an unbeaten 44 off 23.
Coming into bat at No. 5 after the dismissal of the set Warner, Stubbs had a job to do. With skipper Pant at the other end the target was comfortably withing reach for the visiting side. But Pant quickly followed Warner back to the dugout. A couple of wickets and Stubbs was burdened with the pressure of taking the Capitals home with the asking rate crossing 13.
Stubbs steadied DC's chase with Axar as the pair add 51 off 27 for the sixth wicket. With 60 needed from the last four overs, DC needed some serious power-hitting.
The young South African raised Delhi's hopes with back-to-back sixes in the 17th over. Taking 19 runs off Ashwin, Stubbs was in form to turn the match around. Stubbs kept DC in the hunt with back-to-back boundaries in the 19th over to hammer Sandeep Sharma for 15 runs.
Stubbs' fiery display ensure DC needed 17 off the final over. But a brilliant over by Avesh Khan undid all the hardwork as Stubbs failed to take the team over the line, with Delhi falling to their second loss of the season.
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