Starc stars as Delhi beat Rajasthan in IPL’s Super Over thriller

Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc runs out Rajasthan Royals’ Yashasvi Jaiswal at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, India, Apr. 16, 2025. (Reuters)

• Left-arm quick Starc kept Rajasthan down to 188-4 in response to Delhi’s 188-5 and then returned to bowl another disciplined over
• Needing 12 to win, KL Rahul started with a double and then hit a boundary before Tristan Stubbs finished off with a six

NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals edged out Rajasthan Royals in IPL’s first Super Over of the season after pace bowler Mitchell Starc defended nine off the last over to end the match tied on Wednesday.
Left-arm quick Starc kept Rajasthan down to 188-4 in response to Delhi’s 188-5 and then returned to bowl another disciplined over at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Rajasthan managed just 11 runs from their Super Over after Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag hit a boundary each but both got run out on ball four and five and the innings ended with those two wickets.
Needing 12 to win, KL Rahul started with a double and then hit a boundary before Tristan Stubbs finished off with a six on the fourth ball from Sandeep Sharma.
Delhi, led by Axar Patel, got back to winning ways and returned to take top spot in the 10-team table with five victories and just one defeat on six matches.
Rajasthan, who have been chasing the IPL title since their inaugural triumph in 2008 under late Australian hero Shane Warne, slumped to their fifth loss in seven matches.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana hit 51 each to set up Rajasthan’s chase of 189, but wickets at regular intervals kept Delhi in the hunt.
Australia’s Starc dismissed Rana in the 18th over before Dhruv Jurel hit back in his 26 and the left-handed Hetmyer made 15 not out.
Starc’s 20th over was on target as it was just singles and twos in the six balls and with two needed to win on the last delivery Jurel was run out while attempting a second run and the teams prepared for one-over eliminator.
Earlier Rajasthan raced to 50 in five overs with Jaiswal on fire and skipper Sanju Samson switched gears but retired hurt after his 19-ball 31 as he felt some pain in his ribs.
Left-handed Jaiswal raised his third fifty of the season before being dismissed by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav but Rana kept up the batting surge.
Rana survived a reprieve on 20 when Stubbs dropped the batter on the ropes for the ball to go for six and the batter made the most of it but the batting effort was not enough.
Delhi rode on Abhishek Porel’s 49 and 34 each from Patel and Stubbs.
In-form Rahul made 38 and put on 63 runs with the left-handed Porel.
Later Axar put on 41 runs off 19 balls with South African Stubbs as the two hit the ball to all parts of the ground much to the delight of the home crowd as Delhi managed 77 runs from the last five overs.