Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday qualified for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 19 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. RR are currently in second place with 16 points from 12 matches and have two matches in hand. They play Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Wednesday before facing Kolkata Knight Riders on 19 May. RR this become the second team, after KKR, to qualify for the IPL playoffs.
The win meant DC completed their round of league stage matches and are fifth with 14 points from as many matches. Rishabh Pant and Co, however, have a negative NRR of -0.377. For LSG, their playoff chances look even more bleak as the defeat leaves in seventh place with 12 points from 13 matches with a NRR of -0787.
LSG had won the toss and opted to field against DC, but DC’s middle-order stepped up to post 208/4 from 20 overs. Jake Fraser-McGurk, one of the finds of this season, was dismissed for a two-ball duck but Shai Hope (38), Rishabh Pant (33), Abishek Porel (58) and Tristan Stubbs (57*) led them to a challenging total. The highest partnership was a 92-run stand between Porel and Hope for the second wicket.
Barring Nicholas Pooran (61) and Arshad Khan (58*), none of the other Lucknow batters could capitalise on their starts as they were restricted to 189/9 from 20 overs in their chase. Ishant Sharma, with figures of 3/34 was the pick of the DC bowlers, whereas Khaleel Ahmed, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar and Tristan Stubbs collected a wicket each.
Impact Shorts
View AllIshant was adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning bowling spell.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 208/4 from 20 overs (Abishek Porel 58, Tristan Stubbs 57*; Ravi Bishnoi 1/26) beat Lucknow Super Giants 189/9 from 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 61, Arshad Khan 58*; Ishant Sharma 3/34).