Once again, some brilliant death overs bowling was on display in the Indian Premier League as the Rajasthan Royals notched up their second win of the season.
In a target that looked achievable at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur, the RR bowlers held their nerve to eke out a 12 run win over the Capitals.
Before the Royal bowlers stole the show, there was some brilliant powerplay bowling from the Delhi Capitals as well.
While Avesh Khan may have bowled the match-winning over, it was Khaleel Ahmed who shone for the Capitals at the onset of the game.
The bowlers who bowled the best spell in Jaipur on Thursday, March 28, 2024:
Khaleel Ahmed
His efforts may have gone in vain, but Khaleel gave the Capitals the start they needed with some brilliant bowling in the powerplay.
After opting to bowl first, Ahmed was entrusted with the new ball. Handing the Capitals the perfect start, Khaleel put up a stellar show with the new ball keeping the dangerous Royals openers quiet, conceding just 4 in the first over and then three in his next.
Bowling his third over in the Powerplay itself, Khaleel was rewarded for his economical spell with the big wicket of Sanju Samson. Khaleel cramped Samson for room and trying to back away, the Royals skipper nicked it to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps to depart for just 15.
In his first three overs, Khaleel conceded just 9 runs and picked up a wicket. His figures were dented when he returned for his final over. Bowling the 15th, Khaleel took a beating from Riyan Parag, leaking 15 runs.
Khaleel finished his spell with 1/24.
Axar Patel
Axar chipped in with both bat and ball for the Capitals in their second match. He turned in the most economical spell of the contest with an economy rate of 5.25, conceding just one boundary in his four overs.
Not only did he keep the batters quiet, Axar picked up the big wicket of Ravichandran Ashwin. Coming up the order, Ashwin was threating to take the score out of reach with some big shots.
But Axar put the brakes on the Royals charge, removing Ashwin in the 14th over.
A 95 km length ball from Axar and trying to slog sweep it Ashwin failed to clear midwicket. A crucial breakthrough for the Capitals at that stage. Axar turned in figures of 1/21.
Avesh Khan
A brilliant death over to seal the Royals win, just about sums up Avesh Khan's performance on Thursday.
He may not have gotten off to the perfect start, but he rose to the occasion when his team needed it the most.
Brought into the attack in the eighth over, Avesh was welcomed by a set David Warner with back-to-back boundaries. Leaking 10 in his first, Avesh came back in the 12th over. And once again Warner welcomed him with a boundary. But Avesh had the last laugh as he dismissed the Aussie opener with the very next delivery. Avesh delivered the breakthrough for the Royals to put them back into the game. After 10 runs in the first, he bounced back with a wicket and six runs in his next.
With the game heading into the death overs, Avesh was handed the ball in the 18th over, and as earlier, he was welcomed with a boundary. He may have been hit for a boundary in his three overs, but Skipper Sanju trusted him with defending 17 in the final over.
Saving his best for the last, Avesh got all his yorkers on point in the final over as he kept a rampaging Tristan Stubbs from taking the match away. Delivering under pressure, Avesh conceded just four runs in the final over to take his team to their second win this season. Avesh turned in figures of 1/29.
Yuzvendra Chahal
One of the leading bowlers in the league, Chahal continued to prove his mettle with another stellar spell for the Royals on Thursday.
Bowling just three overs, Chahal struck at crucial times to keep the Capitals from running away with the chase. Bowling at an economy of 6.33, Chahal turned in solid figures of 2/19.
Brought into the attack in the 10th over, Chahal conceded ten runs with Rishabh Pant smacking him for a six over deep midwicket.
But the spinner came back in the 14th over and got his revenge with the very first delivery. A shortish length ball, angling outside from Chahal, saw Pant attempting to cut it, but instead the skipper got a faint lower edge. The rest was taken care of by Sanju Samson behind the stumps as Chahal picked up his first wicket of the evening.
In his next over, Chahal removed DC Impact Player Abhishek Porel who miscued the shot and was picked up by Jos Buttler at long-off.
Chahal's crucial scalps put the Capitals; chase off rail. In his third over, Chahal conceded just six and picked up a wicket.
Nandre Burger
He came onto the field as an Impact Player and justified the title to the tee. Sharing the new ball with Trent Boult, Burger didn't get off to the best start, leaking 13 runs in his first over. Mitchell Marsh hammered the South African for three boundaries. But Burger got his revenge quickly.
With Marsh threating to run away with the chase, Burger halted the Aussie's charge in his very next over. A 145.8kph sizzler saw Marsh trying to hit it to third man. But the inward movement knocked back the stumps to send Marsh packing for 23 off 12.
Burger got his second in the very same over, removing Ricky Bhui for a duck. Burger's double strike was crucial for the Royals. After leaking 13 in his first, Burger bounced back to concede just five and pick up two wickets in his next.
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