Virender Sehwag lights up Ahmedabad

Rajasthan were made to regret their poor batting fairly early in the first over of the chase, as Virender Sehwag blazed away, swinging Dimitri Mascarehnas over square leg and mid-on for two boundaries. The seamers bowled either too full or offered him the desired width to break free - Shaun Tait was cut fiercely through point, and Munaf Patel was dispatched over long-off for a six and past mid-on for a boundary in the third over.

Two quick wickets, of Gautam Gambhir and Tillakaratne Dilshan, made no difference to Sehwag's approach - nor, ultimately, to Rajasthan's fortunes - as he skied Mascarenhas when on 41 only to be dropped by Tait while running back from short fine leg - another low on what's so far been a poor IPL for the Australian.

Having smote Mascarenhas for 10 runs off two deliveries, Sehwag proceeded to target Amit Uniyal's medium-pacers, walloping him for six over long-off, upper-cutting him wide of third man to reach his half-century and striking through the line of a length delivery to despatch it over long-on. The parting shot before being caught brilliantly by Graeme Smith at mid-on was a thunderous six over long-on; Delhi were 99 for 3 when he fell in the 10th over, and Dinesh Karthik, with the luxury of a set platform, saw his team through.