Axar Patel, on Wednesday (April 16), bowled Riyan Parag with an absolute beauty during the match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Defending 188 runs, Delhi Capitals failed to make an impact with the ball early on. Rajasthan Royals did not lose any wickets in the powerplay, although their captain, Sanju Samson, had to retire hurt in the sixth over after he picked up an injury while batting.
Sanju Samson had to retire hurt
At the end of the powerplay, Rajasthan Royals were on 63 for no loss. With a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal in the middle and Riyan Parag giving him company, the Royals were firmly in the driver’s seat. The onus was on their captain, Axar Patel, to deliver with the ball, and he did not disappoint.
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The left-arm spinner had started the innings on a strong note. He conceded only 2 runs in his first over before taking the important wicket of Parag in his second over. On the very first ball of the over, Axar Patel castled Parag with a beauty.
Watch as Axar Patel castles Riyan Parag:
— crictalk (@crictalk7) April 16, 2025
Bowling from around the wicket, the left-arm spinner bowled an angled delivery on the middle and off stump, and Parag wanted to push the ball towards the off stump. However, the ball moved away slightly at the last moment and beat the batter’s outside edge before crashing into the stumps.
The wicket also ended Axar’s long wait for a wicket this season. The Delhi Capitals captain had failed to take a wicket in the first five games of the season.
DC vs RR Hanging In The Balance
Talking about the game, Rajasthan Royals were on 104/1 after 12 overs with Jaiswal and Nitish Rana batting in the middle. Jaiswal was playing on 50 while Rana was unbeaten on 11. With Jaiswal well set, the Royals will be hoping that he plays till the end and guides them to a crucial win.
Earlier in the game, Delhi Capitals finished their innings on 188/5. Abishek Porel top-scored for his team, scoring 49 runs off 37 balls. The likes of KL Rahul (38), Tristan Stubbs (34*), and Axar Patel (34) played handy knocks too.