IPL: Delhi Capitals regain top spot as Sanju Samson hits fifty in losing cause for Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson scores 70 not out but receives little support as Royals lose to Delhi by 33 runs in Abu Dhabi; Delhi star with the ball after stuttering with the bat to leapfrog Chennai at top of IPL table; Liam Livingstone out for one as Rajasthan score 121-6 chasing 155
Saturday 25 September 2021 15:16, UK
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson's half-century came in vain as Delhi Capitals' bowlers took their side back top of the Indian Premier League table with a 33-run win.
Samson (70no off 53 balls) was the only Royals batter to pass 19 as his side could only counter Delhi's 154-6, which seemed under-par at the halfway stage, with 121-6 in Abu Dhabi.
Anrich Nortje (2-18) was the pick of the Delhi attack, while Ravichandran Ashwin (1-20) collected his 250th T20 wicket as Capitals moved two points clear of Chennai Super Kings after an eighth victory in 10 games.
- Scorecard: Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs
- Indian Premier League table | Live cricket on Sky Sports
Delhi had failed to ignite with the bat - Shreyas Iyer (43 off 32 ) top-scoring before being stumped by Samson as Rajasthan seamer Mustafizur Rahman bagged 2-22 during a boundary-less four overs.
However, Royals' chase unravelled as they were reduced to 17-3 inside five overs, with England's Liam Livingstone out for just one after opening.
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Samson, having overturned a caught behind dismissal off Nortje on four, struck an attractive 14th IPL fifty but received little support as his side missed the chance to move into the play-off spots.
Defeat was harsh on Samson, who struck eight fours and a six, but also on Mustafizur.
The Bangladesh quick snapped a 62-run stand between Shreyas and Rishabh Pant (24) for the Capitals' third wicket when Pant chopped onto his stumps on the pull.
The paceman then ended a bright cameo from Shimron Hetmyer (28 off 16) when the West Indies batter sliced to short third man in the 17th over.
Kartik Tyagi (1-40) - who had conceded just one run from the final over as Rajasthan beat Punjab Kings in a thriller in Dubai on Tuesday night - and Chetan Sakariya (2-33) had earlier accounted for openers Shikhar Dhawan (8) and Prithvi Shaw (10) as Delhi tumbled to 21-2 inside five overs.
Rajasthan fared even worse at the start of their innings, with Livingstone and Yashasvi Jaiswal (5) caught behind by Pant - Jaiswal after a successful Delhi review - and David Miller (7) stumped by Pant after being deceived by Ashwin as he danced down the pitch.
Samson kept Royals afloat, adding 31 with Mahipal Lomror (19) before dominating a stand of 44 with Rahul Tewatia (9) and an unbeaten partnership of 22 with Tabraiz Shamsi (2no) but Rajasthan were well beaten.
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