Cricket Scorecard

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Well then, 188 is a good total on what appears to be a slowish kind of a wicket. Pace off has worked like a charm for the pacers, while the spinners too, have enjoyed some grip and turn. But with the dew factor, how will the DC bowlers operate? Also, they would be aiming to get through the RR top order very quickly, which has been a bit inconsistent. A strong start with the ball is what will put the Capitals ahead in the game. But can the Royals get off to a positive start with the bat this time

Abishek Porel from the Delhi Capitals is up for a chat. He says the wicket is a bit slow and the odd balls are sticking in the surface, which makes this a good total for them. Says the plan was to play with positive intent and make the most of the Powerplay with the stickiness in the wicket. Mentions that short of a good length is the area that they will have to target to get the most purchases and informs that there is not much of dew as yet. Lauds the knock from Axar Patel that turned the mo

Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma, tailor-made for strong finishes, delivered the knockout punch with explosive cameos at the death, transforming a middling total into something substantial. The pair ransacked the bowling attack with four of the final five overs going for double digits, as DC plundered a massive 77 runs during the last 30 balls. Adding to Rajasthan's woes was their increasingly sloppy fielding when it mattered most.

Axar Patel then launched a much-needed counterattack to breathe fresh life into DC's stagnating innings. His aggressive approach shifted momentum slightly, with fortune favoring them when Parag put down a crucial chance offered by Stubbs. And with the dew settling in, it became a bit tricky to bowl in the right areas. However, handbreaks were again pulled by Theekshana's timely wicket of the rampaging Axar, but only for a brief period.

The pitch definitely had something in it, with the deck offering just enough grip to keep the batters from throwing their hands freely at the ball. Still, KL Rahul and Porel managed to grind out a valuable 63-run partnership through that cat and mouse battle, only for disaster to strike as both set batters departed in quick succession, with KL falling first, followed shortly by Porel, just when they were finally looking to shift into top gear. As a result, DC slipped to 97/2 to 105/4.

KL Rahul then attempted to up the ante and picked his bowlers to accelerate. However, RR's spinners kept the batters in check, with the pitch showing some assistance for the spinners. What followed was classic cat and mouse cricket – RR's spinners setting traps while Porel and KL responded with calculated strike rotation, picking their moments to pounce on loose deliveries.  

Abishek Porel got DC to a blazing start, but after those initial fireworks, things slowed down massively with JFM departing on another single-digit score, and soon after, Karun Nair perishing on an unfortunate run out. Once RR's bowlers weathered that early storm, they clamped down hard. The first two overs went for a whopping 33 runs, but DC limped to just 46/2 by the Powerplay's end, managing a measly 13 runs in the following four overs as the initial fireworks fizzled into a slow burn. 

It's been a strong comeback for the home side in the last five overs. Rajasthan Royals kept things on a tight leash in the middle overs, but let the momentum slip in the backend. Of course, the dew has played its fair part in it, but RR might be reflecting that they could have been much clinical with the way they finished, and also with the way they fielded, making some schoolboy errors. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, by Maheesh Theekshana! An 11-ball over topped with another dropped catch to conclude the innings. Sandeep Sharma goes hard into the deck, on a back of a length and way outside off, Tristan Stubbs looks to pull but gets a top edge that goes high in front of backward point. Maheesh Theekshana settles under it and tries to take it with both hands but the ball just pops out of his hands. The batters take a run and Delhi Capitals end at 188/5.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Short again, with pace taken off, over middle and off, Ashutosh Sharma flat bats it to long on for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Goes into the surface, on a shorter length, just within the tramline on off, Tristan Stubbs reaches for it and drags it down to long on for a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, ! This is turning out to be a huge over for the Delhi Capitals! Another full toss, on middle and leg, Stubbs clobbers it over cow corner for a biggie.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, NO BALL! Just got from bad to worse for Sandeep Sharma and Rajasthan Royals. Sandeep oversteps and nails the yorker, on middle, Ashutosh Sharma digs it out to deep square leg for one. A Free Hit to follow.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, ! Tristan Stubbs makes good use of the Free Hit. A low full toss, on leg, Tristan Stubbs steps across and flicks it behind square on the leg side for a boundary. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! Make that 4 off the over. Sandeep Sharma is suddenly struggling to find his line right. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! That's the third wide off the over already. Full and down leg this time. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, This is superb bowling! Short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma gets on top of his toes and looks to ramp it behind but misses. It is called a fair delivery and Ashutosh Sharma sends it upstairs for a check. The Ball Tracker shows the ball to be passing over the batter's head height and the onfield call is overturned to a wide ball. Great use of a review this. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Executes what he intended to do on the last ball perfectly this time. On a length, well outside off, away from the batter's arc. Ashutosh Sharma cannot reach for it as he looks to swipe across. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! Pace off, on a length but wayward outside off. Left alone by Ashutosh Sharma.

Who bowls the last over? Probably Tushar.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, Quick one from Archer, full and on middle and leg, Ashutosh Sharma takes his front leg out and looks for a heave across the line but misses. The ball defelcts off his pads and rolls on to the leg side and the batters sneak in a leg bye. 

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! A slower bouncer, way too short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma takes a step out but lets it pass. 

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, ! Third boundary off the over and both players are toying with the field placements. 

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, Fires in a yorker, on middle and leg, Tristan Stubbs makes room and jams it out to short third off the outer half of the bat for a single.

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, ! Smartly done. Jofra Archer takes pace off and drops it very short, on off, Tristan Stubbs moves across and waits for an eternity for the ball to arrive. Scoops it back over the keeper's head for a boundary.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, Archer goes into the deck, on a back of a length, on off, Sharma pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, ! Sublime placement. Jofra Archer goes full and outside off, Ashutosh Sharma gets low and squeezes it right through the gap between short third and backward point for a boundary. 

Jofra Archer (2-0-17-2) will bowl the penultimate over.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, 1 run.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Back of a length, over off, Sharma punches it through cover-point and takes a couple of runs. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! A bit beyond the tramline outside off. Sandeep Sharma will have to relaod that one.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Was there a nick? Sanju Samson definitely feels so and has sent it upstairs for a check. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Short of a length, on off, Tristan Stubbs knocks it to long on for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, 1 run.

Ashutosh Sharma is in at number 7. Also, Sandeep Sharma (2-0-7-0) is back into the attack.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Back of a length, on off, Stubbs pulls it through mid-wicket for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! CAUGHT! Maheesh Theekshana strikes back and pulls the handbrakes on Axar Patel's cameo. 

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Just what DC needed! Short one, on middle, Axar goes deep in the crease and punches it over mid-wicket for a boundary. 

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Raining boundaries!

Maheesh Theekshana to Tristan Stubbs, Short and off, Tristan Stubbs slaps it cover and steals a quick run.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, Full, on off, Axar Patel thumps it to long on for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Axar Patel is on a rampage! Maheesh Theekshana serves a full toss, on off, just under the waist height, Axar Patel smokes it square on the leg side for a biggie.

Maheesh Theekshana (3-0-24-0) is back on. He replaces Tushar Deshpande.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, BY PARAG! How big could this dropped chance prove to be? Tossed up by Wanindu Hasaranga on middle and off, Tristan Stubbs hoicks it in front of long on. Riyan Parag moves ahead to his right, gets both hands to it, but spills it out. A couple of runs taken.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, 2 runs.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, 1 run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! BANG! Axar Patel is targeting his bowler. Full and on middle, Axar Patel takes a big stride to slog sweep it over mid-wicket for a biggie. 14 off the first three.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! Back-to-back boundaries and Axar Patel has started the surge! Full and on off and middle, Axar slaps it through covers for another boundary.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! Just away from the fielder. 

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Into the surface, at 122.5 kph, outside off, Axar Patel hops and throws his bat at it, and works it between cover and point for another single. An excellent over by Deshpande. Just a 5 singles off it.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Short, angling across middle, Axar Patel opens the bat face again, but finds the fielder at backward point.

Tushar Deshpande to Tristan Stubbs, Slower delivery, outside off, on a nagging length, Tristan Stubbs drives through cover for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, On top of middle, good length, Axar Patel opens the bat face and glides it down to deep third for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Tristan Stubbs, Slower one, outside off, on a good length, Stubbs hops on the back foot and works it to the leg side for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Length, on the pads, nudged to deep backward square leg for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, Length, turning in on middle, Axar Patel nudges it with soft hands to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel walks in at number 6 for Delhi Capitals.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, ! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! DC have now lost both their set batters in the span of just a few deliveries. Wanindu Hasaranga dishes out on a fuller length, just around off, on a flatter trajectory. Abishek Porel gets his front leg out of the way and attempts to clear long off, but doesn't quite get his bat under it while swinging through. Ends up slicing it off the toe-end of the bat and Riyan Parag takes a regulation catch while running a few st

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, Another one that turns away very sharply, on off and on a length, Tristan Stubbs backs away and cuts it to point. Maheesh Theekshana makes a fumble in the field and allows the batters to cross for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, ! Clean strike! Landed into the arc, on middle, Tristan Stubbs gets on his knee and slogs it powerfully over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, Turns away sharply, full and outside off, Tristan Stubbs strides forward to push away, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, A googly, around off, worked into the off side.

Strategic Break! Delhi Capitals were building some good momentum with a promising partnership, but the dismissal of KL Rahul has once again shifted a bit of pressure back onto them. That said, there's still plenty of firepower left in the shed. This current pair will aim to steady the ship with a short stand before launching into an aggressive finish.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Pace on now, surprising the southpaw. Short and lifting off the deck, on top of off, Abishek Porel leans back to ramp it over the keeper, but misses. A successful over for Jofra Archer and RR. Archer's figures read 3-0-17-2 so far.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Pace off working like a charm for RR at the moment. Archer bowls another slower one, into the pitch, short and on the stumps, KL Rahul mistimes the pull shot, and gets it flat towards deep mid-wicket. The ball dips in front of Shimron Hetmyer stationed in the deep and bends low to scoop it before the grass. The third umpire wants to have a look at it for a fair catch, and it is deemed as one. KL Rahul departs for 38 (32). Jofra Archer 

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, On a length around off, Stubbs bunts towards mid on and gets a single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, WIDE! He will have to reload again! Rolls his fingers and takes the pace off. Goes short and over the batter's head. KL Rahul lets it sail over him. Wide given.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, A bumper, slower one, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Pace on, full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel strokes it to the left of long on for a couple of runs. Dhruv Jurel with a good sliding stop to his left.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A slower one, on a good length, at 114.4 kph, over top of middle, KL Rahul pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, Darted onto the pads, at 98.4 kph, fuller, Abishek Porel flicks it between long on and deep mid-wicket and calls for two straightaway. Shimron Hetmyer runs across to his right from deep mid-wicket and intercepts the ball with a dive. Two taken.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Angled across off, on a length, KL Rahul cuts it to deep point for a single.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, On middle and leg, a yard behind fuller length, Abishek Porel charges forward and steers it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Flat and short, on the leg stump, KL Rahul tucks across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Tossed up, too slow, on off, on a length, KL Rahul waits for it and punches it to cover.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, Flat and too full, outside off, Abishek Porel carves it to point, where the fielder lets it through to the deep, allowing a single.

Riyan Parag is introduced into the attack.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Slowish, fullish, on the pads, Abishek Porel tickles it to the short fine leg region for a quick single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Nagging length, on the stumps, stabbed into the leg side.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, A drag down, on middle, KL Rahul rocks back and pulls in front of square for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! Bread and butter for KL Rahul! Dropped fuller, on off, KL Rahul clears his front leg and smashes it over the bowler for a 73-meter six. Just for a brief moment, the fielder from long on was in play, but it sails just above the leaping man in the deep.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, On a length, outside off, cut off the back foot, but straight to short third.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, ! Cut away! Wanindu Hasaranga drops it a bit too short and keeps it outside off, allowing Porel enough time to rock back. He waits for the ball to reach to him and cuts it through backward point for a boundary. Delhi Capitals are 77/2 at the halfway mark.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, Another one that goes across Porel, and he fails to make any contact as he looks to drive it through the off side this time. Struggling to read the ball off the hands here.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Looped too full, on middle and leg, KL Rahul knocks it down to long on for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, A tad short, on off, Porel slaps it to long off for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, The wrong'un, tossed up full and across the left-hander outside off, Abishek Porel swings across and gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Full and on off, KL Rahul rocks back and whips it to long on for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, On a nagging length, skidding through quicker, on leg, Abishek Porel swivels for he pull, but is beaten onto his waist. 

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Tossed up, on leg, KL Rahul clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Dropped short and on off, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep square leg for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! Nice shot, but that's a very ordinary effort from Dhruv Jurel.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Short and into the pads, KL Rahul tucks it to the vacant mid-wicket region and takes two good runs.

Strategic Break. After the initial few fireworks, RR's bowlers have quite well managed to keep things quiet. The first two overs went for 33, only to be followed by 13 in the next four overs, with two big wickets. KL Rahul and Abishek Porel will aim to pick their bowlers to accelerate from here, as they don't want to get too bogged down in the middle overs. The pitch has shown some signs of turn and bite, and it will be interesting to see how they negotiate against the two Sri Lankan tweakers.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Flatter in trajectory, full and on off, KL Rahul cuts it to deep cover for one. A good start from Wanindu Hasaranga. Just 4 runs off his first over.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Full and at the stumps, KL Rahul prods out to block.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, A bit quicker, full and on middle, Abishek Porel rocks back and punches it to long on for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Tossed up, on off, KL Rahul lunges to swipe it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, No run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, Starts from over the wicket and loops the first one very full, on middle and leg, Porel works it to long on for one. 

Wanindu Hasaranga is introduced into the attack. He replaces Sandeep Sharma.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, A low full toss, outside off, Porel whips it to long on for one. 10 runs off Tushar Deshpande's second over.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Tushar digs it into the surface, on a back of a length, over off, KL Rahul waits back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, ! KLASS! 50 is up for the Delhi Capitals and this was a much-needed one. Fuller than a length, on off, KL Rahul opens up his stance and swings through the line to club it over long off for a biggie.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Good length, on off, KL Rahul punches it to cover. 

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, Back of a length, angling across the left-hander, outside off and keeps a tad bit low too. Abishek Porel swivels to pull, but adjusts to the lack of bounce and drags it across to deep mid-wicket for one.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Angling into the stumps, on a length, Rahul taps it to long on for one.

So, just one over for Maheesh Theekshana. Tushar Deshpande (1-0-23-0) returns into the attack.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, An excellent over from Sandeep Sharma to end the Powerplay. Just 4 runs off it. Fuller length, on middle, KL works it to long on for a single. Delhi Capitals end the Powerplay at 46/2.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, A low full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel clips it to mid on and picks up a quick run. 

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Drops this one short and over off, KL Rahul pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Switches to over the wicket but still keeps it full and at the middle stump line, KL Rahul takes a step away and pushes it to the left of the bowler off the cue end of the bat.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Another one that is fired in right at the stumps, Abishek Porel jams it to the square leg region and picks up a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Goes full, right in the blockhole, at the stumps, Abishek Porel digs it out, down the deck. 

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Fullish again, on middle and leg, this is nudged off the pads towards the right of square leg.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, No run.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! A gift and KL accepts it gleefully! Maheesh slips in a full toss, on the pads, KL Rahul whips it over square leg for a boundary.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, An in-drifting on middle and leg, KL Rahul carves it out to the off side.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, On a fullish length, just outside off, KL Rahul leans on it and eases it out to the point region.

Maheesh Theekshana comes into the attack now.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Over the stumps, flat and full, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Fuller and on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it all along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Speared fuller, on off, KL Rahul charges down the pitch and pushes it to the right of the bowler. Sandeep tries to stick his left hand out to the ball, but misses and the mid off fielder stops it with a dive to his right. A single taken.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Aims the stumps, on a length, on middle, KL Rahul gets right behind it and bunts it on the pitch.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Very full, at the toes, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, ! run out (Wanindu Hasaranga / Sandeep Sharma).

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, No run.

Who walks in next?

Sandeep Sharma comes into the attack, replacing Tushar Deshpande.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Oh, just short! A searing bumper at 145.9 kph, on the body again, Karun Nair mistimes his pull shot. It is lobbed in the air off the toe-end of the bat, but luckily for him, it falls on the bounce in front of the charging square leg fielder.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Dug in short, on the bodyline, Karun Nair dodges underneath it.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Good length, around off, Karun Nair presses forward and taps it to point.

Karun Nair walks in at number 3 for Delhi Capitals.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Jofra Archer provides his side with the first breakthrough! And another low score for Jake Fraser-McGurk! On the hard length, shaping away from the batter, around off, Jake Fraser-McGurk tries to execute the golf swing and looks to hoist over the leg side, but gets it mistimed big time. Slices it over the cover region and it is taken safely by Yashasvi Jaiswal at the mentioned position. Jake Fraser-McGurk departs for 9 and D

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, A surprise bumper at 145 kph, on middle, Abishek Porel manages to pull it to deep square leg. A single taken.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Fuller ball, on the stumps, Abishek Porel stabs it back to the bowler.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, An inswinging low full toss, on the pads, whipped across to deep square leg for a single. 23 off Tushar's first over.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! And again! Banged short on top of the stumps, slower one, Abishek Porel pulls it through the vacant deep mid-wicket region for a boundary.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! Driven crisply! Fuller one, almost a half-volley, across off, Abishek Porel reads the slower ball well, strides across and drives it through backward point for a boundary.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! This is some positive start for DC! The first six of the evening! Length-delivery, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel picks it up nicely and uses his wrists to flick it behind deep square leg for an 85-meter six. Excellent timing on that one.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, EDGED AND ! Across off, full, Abishek Porel charges down to hit it downtown, gets a leading edges and the ball races to the deep third fence.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, Four!

Tushar Deshpande will share the attack from the other end. 

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Porel too, is off the mark! Hard length, on the leg stump line, skidding through, Abishek Porel glances it off the back foot to deep square leg for a single. 10 off the first over then.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Hard length, at 144.9 kph on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk taps it to the point region and steals a quick single.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! TWO IN TWO! Fuller now, on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk opens the bat face and lofts it over cover-point. The ball dribbles into the fence for a boundary.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! DC and Jake Fraser-McGurk are off the mark in style! Back of a length, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk gets on top of it and smashes it over backward point for a cracking boundary.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Hits the deck hard, with a bit of an inward movement, at 142 kph, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk drags it off the inside half of the bat to mid on.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Archer is right on the money! A slip in position for him and he starts with a searing inswinger on the pads, full in length, Jake Fraser-McGurk flicks it straight to square leg.

In all readiness for the action to begin. The umpires and players are all out in the middle. Jake Fraser-McGurk is joined by Abishek Porel to open the innings for Delhi Capitals. Jofra Archer has the new ball in hand and is raring to start the proceedings. Archer to JFM first up. Away we go!

Karun Nair from Delhi Capitals is in for a chat. He says it was special to have his family around when he scored a 50 and wants to repeat it again in this game. Mentions he wasn't targeting any bowler and was only focusing on the balls and he had complete freedom of thought and wanted to just commit to the plans he had in mind. Says he worked hard and, more importantly, started believing in himself and trusting his instincts to play the way he wanted to, which has helped him.

The captain of Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel, says that they would have bowled first as well. Says in the last game, they were in the hunt, and because of the dew factor, he wanted bowl. Adds it is important to learn from the mistakes. Also says it is crucial to finish the games, and talks about having those discussions in the team meetings. Admits they got a bit relaxed during the chase last time around. Informs that they are going unchanged.

Delhi Capitals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

The skipper of Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, says it looks like a good wicket to bowl first and ideally it should get better later on, which is why they want to bowl first. Adds that this is still being early in the tournament, they want to back on the conditions and not follow a trend. Mentions that they have to put the past behind them and with a couple of days' gap, they have gotten time to sort things out. Concludes that they go unchanged into this game.

Impact players nominated by Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.

Impact players nominated by Delhi Capitals - Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira and Tripurana Vijay.

TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin lands in favor of Rajasthan Royals and Sanju Samson elects to BOWL first.

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Well then, 188 is a good total on what appears to be a slowish kind of a wicket. Pace off has worked like a charm for the pacers, while the spinners too, have enjoyed some grip and turn. But with the dew factor, how will the DC bowlers operate? Also, they would be aiming to get through the RR top order very quickly, which has been a bit inconsistent. A strong start with the ball is what will put the Capitals ahead in the game. But can the Royals get off to a positive start with the bat this time

Abishek Porel from the Delhi Capitals is up for a chat. He says the wicket is a bit slow and the odd balls are sticking in the surface, which makes this a good total for them. Says the plan was to play with positive intent and make the most of the Powerplay with the stickiness in the wicket. Mentions that short of a good length is the area that they will have to target to get the most purchases and informs that there is not much of dew as yet. Lauds the knock from Axar Patel that turned the mo

Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma, tailor-made for strong finishes, delivered the knockout punch with explosive cameos at the death, transforming a middling total into something substantial. The pair ransacked the bowling attack with four of the final five overs going for double digits, as DC plundered a massive 77 runs during the last 30 balls. Adding to Rajasthan's woes was their increasingly sloppy fielding when it mattered most.

Axar Patel then launched a much-needed counterattack to breathe fresh life into DC's stagnating innings. His aggressive approach shifted momentum slightly, with fortune favoring them when Parag put down a crucial chance offered by Stubbs. And with the dew settling in, it became a bit tricky to bowl in the right areas. However, handbreaks were again pulled by Theekshana's timely wicket of the rampaging Axar, but only for a brief period.

The pitch definitely had something in it, with the deck offering just enough grip to keep the batters from throwing their hands freely at the ball. Still, KL Rahul and Porel managed to grind out a valuable 63-run partnership through that cat and mouse battle, only for disaster to strike as both set batters departed in quick succession, with KL falling first, followed shortly by Porel, just when they were finally looking to shift into top gear. As a result, DC slipped to 97/2 to 105/4.

KL Rahul then attempted to up the ante and picked his bowlers to accelerate. However, RR's spinners kept the batters in check, with the pitch showing some assistance for the spinners. What followed was classic cat and mouse cricket – RR's spinners setting traps while Porel and KL responded with calculated strike rotation, picking their moments to pounce on loose deliveries.  

Abishek Porel got DC to a blazing start, but after those initial fireworks, things slowed down massively with JFM departing on another single-digit score, and soon after, Karun Nair perishing on an unfortunate run out. Once RR's bowlers weathered that early storm, they clamped down hard. The first two overs went for a whopping 33 runs, but DC limped to just 46/2 by the Powerplay's end, managing a measly 13 runs in the following four overs as the initial fireworks fizzled into a slow burn. 

It's been a strong comeback for the home side in the last five overs. Rajasthan Royals kept things on a tight leash in the middle overs, but let the momentum slip in the backend. Of course, the dew has played its fair part in it, but RR might be reflecting that they could have been much clinical with the way they finished, and also with the way they fielded, making some schoolboy errors. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, by Maheesh Theekshana! An 11-ball over topped with another dropped catch to conclude the innings. Sandeep Sharma goes hard into the deck, on a back of a length and way outside off, Tristan Stubbs looks to pull but gets a top edge that goes high in front of backward point. Maheesh Theekshana settles under it and tries to take it with both hands but the ball just pops out of his hands. The batters take a run and Delhi Capitals end at 188/5.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Short again, with pace taken off, over middle and off, Ashutosh Sharma flat bats it to long on for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Goes into the surface, on a shorter length, just within the tramline on off, Tristan Stubbs reaches for it and drags it down to long on for a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, ! This is turning out to be a huge over for the Delhi Capitals! Another full toss, on middle and leg, Stubbs clobbers it over cow corner for a biggie.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, NO BALL! Just got from bad to worse for Sandeep Sharma and Rajasthan Royals. Sandeep oversteps and nails the yorker, on middle, Ashutosh Sharma digs it out to deep square leg for one. A Free Hit to follow.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, ! Tristan Stubbs makes good use of the Free Hit. A low full toss, on leg, Tristan Stubbs steps across and flicks it behind square on the leg side for a boundary. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! Make that 4 off the over. Sandeep Sharma is suddenly struggling to find his line right. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! That's the third wide off the over already. Full and down leg this time. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, This is superb bowling! Short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma gets on top of his toes and looks to ramp it behind but misses. It is called a fair delivery and Ashutosh Sharma sends it upstairs for a check. The Ball Tracker shows the ball to be passing over the batter's head height and the onfield call is overturned to a wide ball. Great use of a review this. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Executes what he intended to do on the last ball perfectly this time. On a length, well outside off, away from the batter's arc. Ashutosh Sharma cannot reach for it as he looks to swipe across. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! Pace off, on a length but wayward outside off. Left alone by Ashutosh Sharma.

Who bowls the last over? Probably Tushar.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, Quick one from Archer, full and on middle and leg, Ashutosh Sharma takes his front leg out and looks for a heave across the line but misses. The ball defelcts off his pads and rolls on to the leg side and the batters sneak in a leg bye. 

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! A slower bouncer, way too short and over off, Ashutosh Sharma takes a step out but lets it pass. 

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, ! Third boundary off the over and both players are toying with the field placements. 

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, Fires in a yorker, on middle and leg, Tristan Stubbs makes room and jams it out to short third off the outer half of the bat for a single.

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, ! Smartly done. Jofra Archer takes pace off and drops it very short, on off, Tristan Stubbs moves across and waits for an eternity for the ball to arrive. Scoops it back over the keeper's head for a boundary.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, Archer goes into the deck, on a back of a length, on off, Sharma pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Jofra Archer to Ashutosh Sharma, ! Sublime placement. Jofra Archer goes full and outside off, Ashutosh Sharma gets low and squeezes it right through the gap between short third and backward point for a boundary. 

Jofra Archer (2-0-17-2) will bowl the penultimate over.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, 1 run.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Back of a length, over off, Sharma punches it through cover-point and takes a couple of runs. 

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, WIDE! A bit beyond the tramline outside off. Sandeep Sharma will have to relaod that one.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, Was there a nick? Sanju Samson definitely feels so and has sent it upstairs for a check. 

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Short of a length, on off, Tristan Stubbs knocks it to long on for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Ashutosh Sharma, 1 run.

Ashutosh Sharma is in at number 7. Also, Sandeep Sharma (2-0-7-0) is back into the attack.

Sandeep Sharma to Tristan Stubbs, Back of a length, on off, Stubbs pulls it through mid-wicket for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! CAUGHT! Maheesh Theekshana strikes back and pulls the handbrakes on Axar Patel's cameo. 

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Just what DC needed! Short one, on middle, Axar goes deep in the crease and punches it over mid-wicket for a boundary. 

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Raining boundaries!

Maheesh Theekshana to Tristan Stubbs, Short and off, Tristan Stubbs slaps it cover and steals a quick run.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, Full, on off, Axar Patel thumps it to long on for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Axar Patel, ! Axar Patel is on a rampage! Maheesh Theekshana serves a full toss, on off, just under the waist height, Axar Patel smokes it square on the leg side for a biggie.

Maheesh Theekshana (3-0-24-0) is back on. He replaces Tushar Deshpande.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, BY PARAG! How big could this dropped chance prove to be? Tossed up by Wanindu Hasaranga on middle and off, Tristan Stubbs hoicks it in front of long on. Riyan Parag moves ahead to his right, gets both hands to it, but spills it out. A couple of runs taken.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, 2 runs.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, 1 run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! BANG! Axar Patel is targeting his bowler. Full and on middle, Axar Patel takes a big stride to slog sweep it over mid-wicket for a biggie. 14 off the first three.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! Back-to-back boundaries and Axar Patel has started the surge! Full and on off and middle, Axar slaps it through covers for another boundary.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, ! Just away from the fielder. 

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Into the surface, at 122.5 kph, outside off, Axar Patel hops and throws his bat at it, and works it between cover and point for another single. An excellent over by Deshpande. Just a 5 singles off it.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Short, angling across middle, Axar Patel opens the bat face again, but finds the fielder at backward point.

Tushar Deshpande to Tristan Stubbs, Slower delivery, outside off, on a nagging length, Tristan Stubbs drives through cover for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, On top of middle, good length, Axar Patel opens the bat face and glides it down to deep third for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Tristan Stubbs, Slower one, outside off, on a good length, Stubbs hops on the back foot and works it to the leg side for a single.

Tushar Deshpande to Axar Patel, Length, on the pads, nudged to deep backward square leg for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Axar Patel, Length, turning in on middle, Axar Patel nudges it with soft hands to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Axar Patel walks in at number 6 for Delhi Capitals.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, ! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! DC have now lost both their set batters in the span of just a few deliveries. Wanindu Hasaranga dishes out on a fuller length, just around off, on a flatter trajectory. Abishek Porel gets his front leg out of the way and attempts to clear long off, but doesn't quite get his bat under it while swinging through. Ends up slicing it off the toe-end of the bat and Riyan Parag takes a regulation catch while running a few st

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, Another one that turns away very sharply, on off and on a length, Tristan Stubbs backs away and cuts it to point. Maheesh Theekshana makes a fumble in the field and allows the batters to cross for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, ! Clean strike! Landed into the arc, on middle, Tristan Stubbs gets on his knee and slogs it powerfully over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, Turns away sharply, full and outside off, Tristan Stubbs strides forward to push away, but gets beaten on the outside edge.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Tristan Stubbs, A googly, around off, worked into the off side.

Strategic Break! Delhi Capitals were building some good momentum with a promising partnership, but the dismissal of KL Rahul has once again shifted a bit of pressure back onto them. That said, there's still plenty of firepower left in the shed. This current pair will aim to steady the ship with a short stand before launching into an aggressive finish.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Pace on now, surprising the southpaw. Short and lifting off the deck, on top of off, Abishek Porel leans back to ramp it over the keeper, but misses. A successful over for Jofra Archer and RR. Archer's figures read 3-0-17-2 so far.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Pace off working like a charm for RR at the moment. Archer bowls another slower one, into the pitch, short and on the stumps, KL Rahul mistimes the pull shot, and gets it flat towards deep mid-wicket. The ball dips in front of Shimron Hetmyer stationed in the deep and bends low to scoop it before the grass. The third umpire wants to have a look at it for a fair catch, and it is deemed as one. KL Rahul departs for 38 (32). Jofra Archer 

Jofra Archer to Tristan Stubbs, On a length around off, Stubbs bunts towards mid on and gets a single.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, WIDE! He will have to reload again! Rolls his fingers and takes the pace off. Goes short and over the batter's head. KL Rahul lets it sail over him. Wide given.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, A bumper, slower one, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Pace on, full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel strokes it to the left of long on for a couple of runs. Dhruv Jurel with a good sliding stop to his left.

Jofra Archer to KL Rahul, A slower one, on a good length, at 114.4 kph, over top of middle, KL Rahul pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, Darted onto the pads, at 98.4 kph, fuller, Abishek Porel flicks it between long on and deep mid-wicket and calls for two straightaway. Shimron Hetmyer runs across to his right from deep mid-wicket and intercepts the ball with a dive. Two taken.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Angled across off, on a length, KL Rahul cuts it to deep point for a single.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, On middle and leg, a yard behind fuller length, Abishek Porel charges forward and steers it to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Flat and short, on the leg stump, KL Rahul tucks across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Riyan Parag to KL Rahul, Tossed up, too slow, on off, on a length, KL Rahul waits for it and punches it to cover.

Riyan Parag to Abishek Porel, Flat and too full, outside off, Abishek Porel carves it to point, where the fielder lets it through to the deep, allowing a single.

Riyan Parag is introduced into the attack.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Slowish, fullish, on the pads, Abishek Porel tickles it to the short fine leg region for a quick single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Nagging length, on the stumps, stabbed into the leg side.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, A drag down, on middle, KL Rahul rocks back and pulls in front of square for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! Bread and butter for KL Rahul! Dropped fuller, on off, KL Rahul clears his front leg and smashes it over the bowler for a 73-meter six. Just for a brief moment, the fielder from long on was in play, but it sails just above the leaping man in the deep.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, On a length, outside off, cut off the back foot, but straight to short third.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, ! Cut away! Wanindu Hasaranga drops it a bit too short and keeps it outside off, allowing Porel enough time to rock back. He waits for the ball to reach to him and cuts it through backward point for a boundary. Delhi Capitals are 77/2 at the halfway mark.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, Another one that goes across Porel, and he fails to make any contact as he looks to drive it through the off side this time. Struggling to read the ball off the hands here.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Looped too full, on middle and leg, KL Rahul knocks it down to long on for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, A tad short, on off, Porel slaps it to long off for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, The wrong'un, tossed up full and across the left-hander outside off, Abishek Porel swings across and gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Full and on off, KL Rahul rocks back and whips it to long on for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, On a nagging length, skidding through quicker, on leg, Abishek Porel swivels for he pull, but is beaten onto his waist. 

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Tossed up, on leg, KL Rahul clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Dropped short and on off, Abishek Porel pulls it to deep square leg for one.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, 1 run.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! Nice shot, but that's a very ordinary effort from Dhruv Jurel.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Short and into the pads, KL Rahul tucks it to the vacant mid-wicket region and takes two good runs.

Strategic Break. After the initial few fireworks, RR's bowlers have quite well managed to keep things quiet. The first two overs went for 33, only to be followed by 13 in the next four overs, with two big wickets. KL Rahul and Abishek Porel will aim to pick their bowlers to accelerate from here, as they don't want to get too bogged down in the middle overs. The pitch has shown some signs of turn and bite, and it will be interesting to see how they negotiate against the two Sri Lankan tweakers.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Flatter in trajectory, full and on off, KL Rahul cuts it to deep cover for one. A good start from Wanindu Hasaranga. Just 4 runs off his first over.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Full and at the stumps, KL Rahul prods out to block.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, A bit quicker, full and on middle, Abishek Porel rocks back and punches it to long on for one.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, Tossed up, on off, KL Rahul lunges to swipe it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Wanindu Hasaranga to KL Rahul, No run.

Wanindu Hasaranga to Abishek Porel, Starts from over the wicket and loops the first one very full, on middle and leg, Porel works it to long on for one. 

Wanindu Hasaranga is introduced into the attack. He replaces Sandeep Sharma.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, A low full toss, outside off, Porel whips it to long on for one. 10 runs off Tushar Deshpande's second over.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Tushar digs it into the surface, on a back of a length, over off, KL Rahul waits back and pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, ! KLASS! 50 is up for the Delhi Capitals and this was a much-needed one. Fuller than a length, on off, KL Rahul opens up his stance and swings through the line to club it over long off for a biggie.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Good length, on off, KL Rahul punches it to cover. 

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, Back of a length, angling across the left-hander, outside off and keeps a tad bit low too. Abishek Porel swivels to pull, but adjusts to the lack of bounce and drags it across to deep mid-wicket for one.

Tushar Deshpande to KL Rahul, Angling into the stumps, on a length, Rahul taps it to long on for one.

So, just one over for Maheesh Theekshana. Tushar Deshpande (1-0-23-0) returns into the attack.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, An excellent over from Sandeep Sharma to end the Powerplay. Just 4 runs off it. Fuller length, on middle, KL works it to long on for a single. Delhi Capitals end the Powerplay at 46/2.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, A low full toss, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel clips it to mid on and picks up a quick run. 

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Drops this one short and over off, KL Rahul pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Switches to over the wicket but still keeps it full and at the middle stump line, KL Rahul takes a step away and pushes it to the left of the bowler off the cue end of the bat.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Another one that is fired in right at the stumps, Abishek Porel jams it to the square leg region and picks up a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Goes full, right in the blockhole, at the stumps, Abishek Porel digs it out, down the deck. 

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, Fullish again, on middle and leg, this is nudged off the pads towards the right of square leg.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, No run.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, ! A gift and KL accepts it gleefully! Maheesh slips in a full toss, on the pads, KL Rahul whips it over square leg for a boundary.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, An in-drifting on middle and leg, KL Rahul carves it out to the off side.

Maheesh Theekshana to KL Rahul, On a fullish length, just outside off, KL Rahul leans on it and eases it out to the point region.

Maheesh Theekshana comes into the attack now.

Maheesh Theekshana to Abishek Porel, Over the stumps, flat and full, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Fuller and on middle and leg, Abishek Porel flicks it all along the ground to deep mid-wicket for a single. 

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Speared fuller, on off, KL Rahul charges down the pitch and pushes it to the right of the bowler. Sandeep tries to stick his left hand out to the ball, but misses and the mid off fielder stops it with a dive to his right. A single taken.

Sandeep Sharma to KL Rahul, Aims the stumps, on a length, on middle, KL Rahul gets right behind it and bunts it on the pitch.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, Very full, at the toes, Abishek Porel flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, ! run out (Wanindu Hasaranga / Sandeep Sharma).

Sandeep Sharma to Abishek Porel, No run.

Who walks in next?

Sandeep Sharma comes into the attack, replacing Tushar Deshpande.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Oh, just short! A searing bumper at 145.9 kph, on the body again, Karun Nair mistimes his pull shot. It is lobbed in the air off the toe-end of the bat, but luckily for him, it falls on the bounce in front of the charging square leg fielder.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Dug in short, on the bodyline, Karun Nair dodges underneath it.

Jofra Archer to Karun Nair, Good length, around off, Karun Nair presses forward and taps it to point.

Karun Nair walks in at number 3 for Delhi Capitals.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Jofra Archer provides his side with the first breakthrough! And another low score for Jake Fraser-McGurk! On the hard length, shaping away from the batter, around off, Jake Fraser-McGurk tries to execute the golf swing and looks to hoist over the leg side, but gets it mistimed big time. Slices it over the cover region and it is taken safely by Yashasvi Jaiswal at the mentioned position. Jake Fraser-McGurk departs for 9 and D

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, A surprise bumper at 145 kph, on middle, Abishek Porel manages to pull it to deep square leg. A single taken.

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Fuller ball, on the stumps, Abishek Porel stabs it back to the bowler.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, An inswinging low full toss, on the pads, whipped across to deep square leg for a single. 23 off Tushar's first over.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! And again! Banged short on top of the stumps, slower one, Abishek Porel pulls it through the vacant deep mid-wicket region for a boundary.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! Driven crisply! Fuller one, almost a half-volley, across off, Abishek Porel reads the slower ball well, strides across and drives it through backward point for a boundary.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, ! This is some positive start for DC! The first six of the evening! Length-delivery, on middle and leg, Abishek Porel picks it up nicely and uses his wrists to flick it behind deep square leg for an 85-meter six. Excellent timing on that one.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, EDGED AND ! Across off, full, Abishek Porel charges down to hit it downtown, gets a leading edges and the ball races to the deep third fence.

Tushar Deshpande to Abishek Porel, Four!

Tushar Deshpande will share the attack from the other end. 

Jofra Archer to Abishek Porel, Porel too, is off the mark! Hard length, on the leg stump line, skidding through, Abishek Porel glances it off the back foot to deep square leg for a single. 10 off the first over then.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Hard length, at 144.9 kph on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk taps it to the point region and steals a quick single.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! TWO IN TWO! Fuller now, on off, Jake Fraser-McGurk opens the bat face and lofts it over cover-point. The ball dribbles into the fence for a boundary.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, ! DC and Jake Fraser-McGurk are off the mark in style! Back of a length, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk gets on top of it and smashes it over backward point for a cracking boundary.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Hits the deck hard, with a bit of an inward movement, at 142 kph, outside off, Jake Fraser-McGurk drags it off the inside half of the bat to mid on.

Jofra Archer to Jake Fraser-McGurk, Archer is right on the money! A slip in position for him and he starts with a searing inswinger on the pads, full in length, Jake Fraser-McGurk flicks it straight to square leg.

In all readiness for the action to begin. The umpires and players are all out in the middle. Jake Fraser-McGurk is joined by Abishek Porel to open the innings for Delhi Capitals. Jofra Archer has the new ball in hand and is raring to start the proceedings. Archer to JFM first up. Away we go!

Karun Nair from Delhi Capitals is in for a chat. He says it was special to have his family around when he scored a 50 and wants to repeat it again in this game. Mentions he wasn't targeting any bowler and was only focusing on the balls and he had complete freedom of thought and wanted to just commit to the plans he had in mind. Says he worked hard and, more importantly, started believing in himself and trusting his instincts to play the way he wanted to, which has helped him.

The captain of Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel, says that they would have bowled first as well. Says in the last game, they were in the hunt, and because of the dew factor, he wanted bowl. Adds it is important to learn from the mistakes. Also says it is crucial to finish the games, and talks about having those discussions in the team meetings. Admits they got a bit relaxed during the chase last time around. Informs that they are going unchanged.

Delhi Capitals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Karun Nair, KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals (Unchanged Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

The skipper of Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, says it looks like a good wicket to bowl first and ideally it should get better later on, which is why they want to bowl first. Adds that this is still being early in the tournament, they want to back on the conditions and not follow a trend. Mentions that they have to put the past behind them and with a couple of days' gap, they have gotten time to sort things out. Concludes that they go unchanged into this game.

Impact players nominated by Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal and Kunal Singh Rathore.

Impact players nominated by Delhi Capitals - Mukesh Kumar, Sameer Rizvi, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira and Tripurana Vijay.

TOSS UPDATE - The flip of the coin lands in favor of Rajasthan Royals and Sanju Samson elects to BOWL first.