Guwahati, April 8 (IANS) Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler smashed half-centuries while Shimron Hetmyer provided the finishing touch to propel Rajasthan Royals to 199/4 against Delhi Capitals in an IPL 2023 match at the Barsapara Cricket Ground, here on Saturday.
Jaiswal and Buttler slammed 14 boundaries in the first six overs to reach 68 runs in the powerplay. Their stand was 98 runs before Jaiswal fell for a sparkling 60. From there, Delhi clawed back through their spinners in the middle overs.
At 130/3 in 15 overs, Rajasthan seemed to have squandered a great start till Buttler, who made 79 and Hetmyer, unbeaten on 39, got 69 runs in the last five overs to take Rajasthan to one short of 200.
Jaiswal began by showing his range of shots against Khaleel Ahmed in the opening over. A pull over midwicket was followed by a cut through deep third man (and aided by a misfield). He then drove through extra cover, chipped over long-on, and steered over short third man to take five boundaries.
Buttler joined the boundary-hitting party by driving, slashing and punching to take three boundaries off Anrich Nortje in the second over. Buttler had a life when he was on 18 in the fourth over when Nortje went running from mid-on and covered great ground, but couldn’t hold on to the catch as Rajasthan brought up their fifty in just four overs.
Jaiswal continued to be exquisite in his stroke-play, taking three boundaries off Axar Patel through a switch-hit, cut and sweep. He continued to take runs off the left-arm spinner, cutting through the off-side and followed it up with a gentle flick between deep mid-wicket and long-on to reach his fifty in 25 balls.
While Buttler took two boundaries off Kuldeep Yadav in the eighth over, Jaiswal cracked the first six of the match by launching him high over long-off. The rollicking 86-run opening partnership came to an end when Jaiswal came down the pitch for a cross-bat shot off a bouncer from Mukesh Kumar, but gave a top-edge for the bowler to complete a simple caught and bowled dismissal.
Delhi bounced back through two quick wickets — Sanju Samson fell for a four-ball duck, after holing out to long-on off Kuldeep, while Riyan Parag, playing in his 50th IPL game, completely missed a slower delivery from Rovman Powell to see his stumps in disarray.
But Buttler marched forward to get his fifty in 31 balls by pulling Axar over cow corner for six. He then broke a spell of 20 boundary-less balls with back-to-back fours off Mukesh. Hetmyer began giving finishing touches with loft and drive off Powell for six and four respectively.
Buttler used Nortje’s pace to lap over long leg, before hitting him down the ground to make it two fours off the 18th over. His knock came to an end in the next over when Mukesh took a return catch on rebound after a juggle.
After Dhruv Jurel whipped Mukesh over mid-wicket for six, Hetmyer smashed Nortje for sixes over mid-wicket and long-off to take Rajasthan to 199/4.
Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 199/4 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler 79, Yashasvi Jaiswal 60; Mukesh Kumar 2/36, Rovman Powell 1/18) against Delhi Capitals
–IANS
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