Jaipur: Rishabh Pant (78 n o, 36b, 6×4, 4×6) slammed all the critics with a brilliant unbeaten half century and along with opener Shikhar Dhawan (54, 27b, 8×4, 2×6) led Delhi Capitals (DC) to victory against Rajasthan Royals (RR) by six wickets here in the ongoing IPL Monday.
With this win, Delhi rose to second in the points table with 14 points from 11 games while, Rajasthan languish at lowly seventh with three six points from 10 games.
Chasing, 192 runs for victory, Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw (42) gave Delhi a solid platform with a 72-run partnership for the opening wicket. However, RR pegged back with two quick wickets of Dhawan and skipper Shreyas Iyer (four), it was the combo of Shaw and Pant as they stitched together 84 runs for the third wicket which led them to victory.
Earlier, blending panache with power, Ajinkya Rahane (105 n o, 63b, 11×4, 3×6) roared back to form with a scintillating unbeaten century and propelled RR to 191/6. Former Aussie skipper Steve Smith (50, 32b, 8×4) who replaced Rahane at the helm also his half century – his second on trot.
Asked to bat after Shreyas Iyer called correctly at the toss, Rahane spearheaded RR’s innings after getting a life on 16, the culprit being Ishant Sharma (1/29), who dropped a sitter at sort fine-leg. The drop hurt the visitors, but DC did well to prevent RR from going past 200.
Entering the game with over 650 runs against Delhi in the league, Rahane chose his favourite opponents to find form, and when he walked back to the dressing room, he had over 750 to his name.
To start with, Rahane drove Ishant through a crowded off-side field for a boundary, a shot that had his characteristic elegance written all over it. The 30-year-old went into attack mode and smashed Axar Patel (1/39) for a six and a four at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, which had a dash of pink.
Seeing the flight early, Rahane danced down the crowd to hoist’s Axar ball over him and into the sightscreen. Unfazed by the sight of pacer Kagiso Rabada (2/37) steaming in, he smoked the South African’s short of a length delivery down the ground for another maximum.
Rahane — India’s Test vice-captain — reached his fifty by dispatching Chris Morris (1/41) over the mid-wicket for a four and celebrated it with fist pumps. A flurry of boundaries followed as Rahane galloped along to bring up his second IPL hundred, the first coming seven years ago.
He raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and his dugout that was as relieved as the batsman himself.
Meanwhile, Smith, struck medium pacer Sherfane Rutherford (0/16) for three consecutive boundaries to score his second successive half century of the season.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 191/6 (Ajinkya Rahane 105 n o, Steve Smith 50) lost to Delhi Capitals 193/4 (Rishabh Pant 78 n o, Shikhar Dhawan 54) by six wickets.