Super Showdown in Delhi: Capitals Edge Royals in High-Stakes Super Over Thriller

New Delhi — In a match that ebbed, flowed, and erupted into a heart-racing Super Over, the Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a sensational win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, climbing to the top of the points table and treating home fans to a night of high drama.

With both teams locked at 188 runs at the end of regular play, the match veered into a Super Over — the first in the IPL since 2022 — where DC, led by ice-cool finishing from Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul, clinched a memorable victory after Mitchell Starc’s brilliant display with the ball.

Tension Mounts, Capitals Hold Nerve

DC’s victory was forged on the back of gritty batting late in their innings. On a slow pitch that initially seemed to favour bowlers, they recovered from a tricky position to post 188/5, thanks to a late flourish by Axar Patel (34 off 14), Stubbs (34 off 18), and Ashutosh Sharma (15* off 7).

In reply, RR’s chase was powered by half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana, both scoring 51. But a brilliant final over from Starc — who conceded just nine runs while landing five pinpoint yorkers — forced the contest into a Super Over.

Starc, entrusted again in the Super Over, bowled with nerves of steel. He faced Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag, who tried to take charge but lost their composure. After hitting a boundary each — including one off a no-ball — both batters were run out in a dramatic mix-up, leaving DC a target of 13.

Stubbs and Rahul paced the chase perfectly. A couple of runs, a sliced four from Rahul, and a towering six from Stubbs over deep mid-wicket sealed the deal in four balls, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It marked DC’s fourth Super Over win in IPL history.

RR’s Chase: Power Start, Painful Finish

Rajasthan began their chase on the front foot. Sanju Samson and Jaiswal hammered early boundaries, with Jaiswal targeting Mitchell Starc for two fours and a six, while Samson launched Mukesh Kumar for a straight six. The openers powered RR to 63/0 in the powerplay, but the innings began to falter soon after.

Samson, who had survived a chance on 20, had to retire hurt on 31 due to a rib injury after missing a cut shot. The breakthrough came from Axar, who bowled Riyan Parag with a slower delivery for just 8.

Jaiswal continued to play aggressively, reaching his third IPL fifty in just 34 balls. He lofted Kuldeep Yadav for a six and hammered Stubbs for a straight maximum. However, with the run rate climbing, he perished trying to go big off Axar, holing out to long-on.

Nitish Rana took over, showing intent with inventive strokes. He mixed luck with aggression — a few streaky boundaries and a clean six off Axar followed by some clever scoops and a reverse sweep against Kuldeep. He reached his fifty in 26 balls before Starc delivered a match-turning yorker to trap him lbw, sparking Delhi’s comeback.

Dhurv Jurel and Hetmyer did their best to see RR through, but Starc’s immaculate final over and a late run-out kept the scores tied at 188, setting up the night’s grand finale.

DC’s Batting: A Late Surge Sparks Life

Earlier, Delhi’s innings was a tale of resilience. After being pinned down by Rajasthan’s disciplined bowling and reaching 111/4 in 15 overs, DC turned the tide with a stunning finish. The final five overs yielded a whopping 77 runs.

Jake Fraser-McGurk got Delhi going with two early boundaries off Jofra Archer but fell trying to go big again. Karun Nair was run out for a duck soon after, leaving DC in early trouble. Abishek Porel stepped up, taking Tushar Deshpande apart with four boundaries and a six in a 23-run over, including a magnificent flick for six.

However, Rajasthan’s spinners — particularly Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana — tightened the screws. Hasaranga got Porel to mistime a lofted shot to long-off, while KL Rahul, despite his composed 38, failed to find elevation and holed out.

At 111/4, Axar Patel injected momentum. He smashed Hasaranga for two fours and a six in the 16th over, then punished Theekshana with a pulled six and a pair of sliced boundaries. Stubbs, after a life on 12, joined in with calculated hitting, including a scooped boundary off Archer.

Theekshana dismissed Axar with a catch at long-off, but Ashutosh Sharma provided the final flourish, using Archer’s pace to guide two clever boundaries behind square. Stubbs ended the innings in style, capitalising on Sandeep Sharma’s wayward final over, which included four wides and a no-ball. A whipped four and a slogged six took DC to 188/5 and gave them the belief to defend it.

Turning Point: Starc’s Final Spell

While several players contributed, Mitchell Starc emerged as the standout. His final over of regulation — full of toe-crushing yorkers — restricted RR to nine runs when they needed just 13. Then, under immense pressure, he delivered again in the Super Over, forcing two crucial run-outs and giving Delhi a manageable chase.

Stubbs and Rahul didn’t waste the opportunity, pacing the chase with poise to notch up a win that could redefine their season.

The Stats Recap:

Delhi Capitals 188/5 in 20 overs
(Abishek Porel 49, KL Rahul 38, Axar Patel 34; Jofra Archer 2-32, Hasaranga 1-38)

Rajasthan Royals 188/4 in 20 overs
(Nitish Rana 51, Yashasvi Jaiswal 51; Axar Patel 1-23, Kuldeep Yadav 1-33)

Super Over:
RR 12/2 (5 balls)
DC 13/0 (4 balls)

Team Maverick.