JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals (RR) allrounder Riyan Parag, who led the home side to a 12-run victory over the Delhi Capitals, said that he felt sick prior to the game and had to take painkillers before taking the field.
RR continued the trend of the home team emerging victorious as they clinched a 12-run win over Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This marked the ninth consecutive win in nine games for the home team.
Put to bat first, Rajasthan were struggling at 36/3 after 7.2 overs, however, Parag came out to bat and turned around the tempo as he hammered an unbeaten 45-ball 84, helping his side post 185/5 against the Delhi Capitals in Thursday’s match.
“I have worked very hard, the last 3 days I was in bed, I was on painkillers, I just got up today and I’m very happy”, Parag said during the presentation ceremony.
The all-rounder had a fantastic start to the IPL 2024 and is benefiting from a defined role in Rajasthan’s lineup, batting at number four. He went on to credit his domestic form for his impressive start to IPL 2024.
“I know what my opinion is about myself. That does not change regardless of whether I get a zero or not. That’s a lot to do with the type of season as well, I had a great domestic season and that helps. Someone in the top four has to play the 20 overs, the wicket was keeping low and stopping, in the first game Sanju bhayya did it”, he added.
The Australian duo of Mitchell Marsh (23) and David Warner (49) got off to a brisk start as DC amassed 30 runs in 2.1 overs while chasing 186. For Rajasthan, Nandre Burger breached Marsh’s defence to claim the first wicket, and Rick Bhui fell in the same over for a two-ball duck.
Skipper Rishabh Pant and Warner strung a 67-run stand to keep DC on track of the chase. Warner fell for 49 and Pant departed moments late.
Impact Player Abhishek Porel failed to contribute much, unlike the previous game. Tristan Stubbs tried to pull off late heroics by scoring two consecutive sixes in Ravichandran Ashwin’s over.
But Sandeep Sharma and Avesh Khan kept their nerves, however, throughout the chase, DC struggled to push for runs as the wicket got slower, and RR held on to their line and length and eventually won the game by 12 runs. (ANI)