The Super Over, the first in the IPL since 2021, at the Kotla on Wednesday wouldn’t have happened if not for Rajasthan Royals’ sloppy showing on the field earlier. They had a fine opportunity to restrict Delhi Capitals within 170, but had to chase 188 on a slightly sticky wicket.

Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer fell one short of taking the Royals home in the stipulated overs, courtesy Mitchell Starc’s perfect execution of yorkers and pitched-up deliveries. Then in the Super Over, KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs notched up the required 12 runs off just four balls to ensure victory for the Capitals.

The Royals could have scored much more than 11 if not for the needless run-out dismissal of Riyan Parag, followed by that of Yashasvi Jaiswal, which denied them from playing all six balls. Defending not too many with the ball, the experienced Sandeep Sharma surprisingly bowled short instead of his go-to delivery, yorkers.

Perfect death bowling

The Royals needed 31 off the last three overs, with eight wickets in hand, effectively seven, as captain Sanju Samson retired hurt after sustaining an injury on his ribs.

A set Nitish Rana meant the Royals were the favourites to win. For the Capitals, their last hope was Starc, who too was under pressure after Jaiswal took him on in his first spell.

Starc, though, was on the money right away. Getting the ball to reverse, he first had Rana lbw with a yorker, conceding only eight off the 18th over. With a bit of luck, he could have got Hetmyer’s wicket as well in that over.

Mohit Sharma gave away 14 off the penultimate over, with only 9 required off the last six balls. The pressure was on Starc as the Royals needed just one big hit from that deciding over.

Showing his class, Starc was at his accurate best with the fuller-length stuff that just didn’t allow Jurel and Hetmyer that one big hit they needed for victory.

Kuldeep Yadav too deserves a pat on the back for his timely strike to end Jaiswal’s innings. The left-handed opener was looking dangerous after his third 50 in four innings, before Kuldeep altered his length just a bit to have Jaiswal taken in the deep.

Captain delivers

The Capitals’ scorecard read 105/4 in 13.5 overs after Abishek Porel’s departure. With Jofra Archer dismissing KL Rahul for the first time in the IPL after having
taken Jake Fraser-McGurk’s wicket earlier, the Capitals’ scoring rate had gone down considerably.

Fortunately, captain Axar Patel stood up when his side needed him to and produced some clean hits to give the team total the push it needed.

The spinner all-rounder hit four boundaries and two sixes, striking at 242.85 as Stubbs and he forged 41 in just 3.1 overs. Axar could have scored more, but couldn’t get his timing right off a full toss from Maheesh Theekshana that should have been hit for at least a four.

With the ball too, the skipper did a decent job, giving away 23 off his three overs and picking up Riyan’s wicket at a critical stage.

Costly errors

The Capitals managed 77 off the last five overs of their innings and 42 off the last three to cross 180, when even 170-175 looked quite difficult. The Royals were responsible for conceding so many towards the end, especially with Riyan grassing Stubbs at the deep when the batter was on 12.

Pacer Sandeep, who had given away only seven off his first two overs, leaked runs in his next spell. In the 20th over, Sandeep bowled as many as four wides, a no-ball and was hit for a four and a six.

The Capitals accumulated 19 off the final over of their innings. Even off the last ball of their innings, Theekshana made a meal of a sitter at point when Stubbs mistimed a wider one from Sandeep.