Live Report - IPL 2023 - Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Guwahati

From fifth to first, RR's 57-run win over DC has pushed them considerably ahead on NRR even as four teams are stuck on four points on the table. They dominated from start to finish: 20 runs to begin their innings, two wickets to start DC's. Buttler and Jaiswal clubbed fifties in quick time, before Hetmyer wrapped things up with an unbeaten cameo. DC were never in the game, aside from restricting RR to 34 for 3 during a seven-over phase either side of an aggressive approach from the opposition batters. Here's a bit from our report from the first of the games this evening, as we wrap it up from Guwahati:

The first over of each innings pretty much set the tone for the result. Yashasvi Jaiswal carted Khaleel Ahmed for five fours to start Rajasthan Royals’ innings after they were sent in by Delhi Capitals; and when the chase started, Trent Boult continued his romance with the first over by dismissing Impact Sub opener Prithvi Shaw and No. 3 Manish Pandey back to back.

Capitals were 0 for 2 after one over; Royals were 20 for 0. That was how massive the difference was between the two sides in Guwahati.

DC needed 87 to win from 30 balls, after which Warner raised his 57th IPL fifty. But it was too little and too slow for his side, as their captain had consumed 44 balls in the process. Two balls later, R Ashwin got Rovman Powell, who tried to slog but fell second ball for 2. Next over - the 17th - when Warner had no option but to swat and hack, he found the extra-cover fielder... only for it to be ruled as a no-ball since Jaiswal there was standing a few yards outside the circle. Nevertheless, with 73 required off 20, it's all crumbling for DC, as a third defeat awaits.

They have restricted DC to 68 in the first half - a run rate of only 6.80 when the chase had started with exactly ten an over - and they need another 132 in the second half. That is a required rate of 13.20. Warner's strike rate, after facing 30 balls - half of them so far - is only 110. Lalit Yadav, at the other end, isn't too quick either. It'll need some serious big hitting if DC are to even dream of a win from here, even as Powell and Axar are due next.

At the end of the seventh over, legspinner Murugan Ashwin replaced Jos Buttler as RR's Impact Sub. Buttler smashed 79 from 51 balls when his side batted, and there's no prizes for guessing that he has hardly ever bowled in his professional career.

DC had got only one run off the first ten balls; even that was a wide. But since then, Warner hit four fours - and Rossouw three - as DC tried to make sense of things after a dramatic start with the ball for RR. But soon after, Ashwin got another left-hander - No. 6354636 in his career - when Rossouw reverse swept and found the cover fielder.

The powerplay is done, and DC are 36 for 3. The required rate has already ballooned to 11.57. They are sliding. They need something to happen soon. ESPNcricinfo's forecaster gives them only a 3.42% chance from here.

Karthik Krishnaswamy called him a first-over phenom, and he is proven right just six days later. Trent Boult first has Prithvi Shaw - Impact Sub, big hitter - caught behind, as Samson flung himself in front of first slip. Next ball, Boult slipped one full on the stumps, getting it to angle in, as Manish Pandey reviewed the original out decision only for replays to show it would have hit leg stump. Rilee Rossouw came out facing the hat-trick ball, and was beaten on the outside edge. Phew! Remember how RR had started their innings? With five fours.

DC need 200 to win, and they are betting on, in the words of Tom Moody, "extraordinary talent" Prithvi Shaw. He replaces the frontline bowler Khaleel Ahmed, with Warner at the other end. The chase begins.

Some mind-blowing numbers from Shiva Jayaraman:
Riyan Parag is playing his 50th IPL match, but he is yet to find his feet in the league. On an average, Parag has either batted or bowled (or done both) 12 balls per match over his IPL career. Among 141 players who’ve played 50 or more matches in the IPL, only Mithun Manhas with an average involvement of just over nine balls per match is lower than Parag.

The promise of being an Indian allrounder who can lend balance to the playing XI has perhaps kept relevant in the league over the last few seasons. However, Parag’s numbers with the bat and the ball are ordinary. He has scored 556 runs at an average of 16.35 and a strike rate of 124.4. He has bowled 26 overs at an economy of 10.7, taking four wickets at an average 70. For a middle-order batter, that strike rate is not good enough, and with just 26 overs in 50 matches, he doesn’t offer much with the ball either.

With the Impact Player rule being introduced, Parag might be really on a short leash, for he is exactly the kind of player the rule can the help teams replace.

The last five overs produced 69. Hetmyer hit 38 from 18 of those balls. RR finish one short of 200, although at one stage, nothing seemed impossible. Theirs was an innings of three parts: the first eight overs produced 96, the next seven got them only 34, and the final five 69. Buttler bashed 79, Jaiswal jammed 60 and Hetmyer produced a cameo of 39* off 21 deliveries. The chase is on in Guwahati, as DC seek their first win this season.

He was dropped when on 18, and eventually falls for 79. There was everything in that ball from Mukesh: he fired a yorker angling it into middle and leg, as Buttler made room and jammed it back. The ball went into Mukesh's hands, who took it on a juggle. DC's captain Warner appealed for a potential caught-and-bowled, and guess what, the umpires went upstairs sensing it was a bump ball that went back to Mukesh only to that result in a wicket.

In the 14 balls from over 15.5 to 18.1, Buttler and Hetmyer hammer five fours and two sixes. That is 32 runs out of 39. RR have pressed the accelerator.

Buttler rocks deep in the crease, and crashes a pull over long-on. Fifty from 31 balls, as RR find the boundary after 26 deliveries. DC made their way back into the game over the last few overs, and Buttler remains key if RR are to dream of a big bash late in their innings. It is the second time-out, and RR are 122 for 2 after 13 overs.

New batter Samson is lured into a heave, as Kuldeep tosses one up on a length on middle stump. Samson duly swings, but only manages to sky one to long-on, which was placed well inside the circle. Two wickets in two overs. Only seven runs. The boundaries have dried up. Here comes Parag, who almost falls first ball after getting a leading edge off Kuldeep Yadav. RR 103 for 2 after 10.

Earlier, while the ninth over of RR's innings was on, DC's assistant coach Ajit Agarkar was speaking to the TV commentators from the dugout. Barely a minute back he mentioned how a wicket or two can pull things back, and almost immediately, Jaiswal top-edged a pull off Mukesh Kumar, who dug one short to invite the shot. RR 98 for 1. Samson in at No. 3, and Mukesh ends the over with another short delivery, aimed on middle stump, which Samson is forced to let go because of its tight line.

Jaiswal just effortlessly clips a shortish ball around his pads, and places it gently wide of long-on. Fifty off 25 balls for the young man. His second half-century this season, after hitting 54 from 37 deliveries against SRH.

It looked slightly difficult, and in the end, was fumbled after a juggling act. Anrich Nortje, positioned at mid-on, turned around and sprinted, while chasing the ball landing over his right shoulder. He stretched his hands out after a decent run, only for the ball to pop out and out again. Uh, Buttler dropped on 18. RR raise 50 in four overs.

His partner is on 22 off 9 balls after three overs, and Jos Buttler isn't too far behind. Buttler, only 17 from just as many deliveries, has crashed four boundaries, including three in an over off Anrich Nortje. The third of those looked as soft as a pat on the back: a gentle push, blink of an eye, and done. RR have 43 on the board after three overs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Khaleel Ahmed. Here's how and where the boundaries went to start the afternoon: over midwicket, to deep third (although aided by a misfield), through extra cover, to long-on, and over short third.

No Mitchell Marsh for DC... don't worry for an injury, it's his marriage that has flown him back home to Perth. And contrastingly, Buttler is fit to play for RR, despite injuring his finger last game. Samson looked, sounded and spoke a confused man in the world of Impact Subs... and who is to blame him?

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Dhruv Jurel, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Jason Holder, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Trent Boult. The subs are: Navdeep Saini, Akash Vashisht, M Ashwin, KM Asif and Donovan Ferreira

Delhi Capitals: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Manish Pandey, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Abishek Porel (wk), 8 Khaleel Ahmed, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mukesh Kumar, 11 Anrich Nortje. The subs are: Aman Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Ishant Sharma and Pravin Dubey

England and Royals' chief destroyer of the white ball, Jos Buttler hurt his little finger by ramming it into the ground while attempting to take a catch in Royals' match against PBKS. Thus, there remains doubt over his participation today. Shashank Kishore's preview for the day highlights that and more, as Capitals try and avoid a season where they start with a hat-trick of losses.

In some other build-up to today's contest in Guwahati, here's a reminder how Royals' Dhruv Jurel waited a while to make an impact, as Ashish Pant and Nikhil Sharma found out. Meanwhile, another young star - this one in Capitals' camp - has attracted his super senior Wriddhiman Saha's praise. Here's Saha's take on the rising Abishek Porel, who got his opportunity in Pant's absence.

And, and... don't forget to try out ESPNcricinfo's first AR-based game - just aim and hit the stumps.