Watson produces another stellar knock as Royals win

In Match 33 of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL), the Rajasthan Royals beat the Delhi Daredevils by 3 wickets to clinch its seventh victory of the tournament out of nine games played.

Rajasthan and Delhi earlier locked horns at the start of the tournament when Delhi welcomed Rajasthan to the IPL by defeating them by 9 wickets.

Playing on home turf this time – the Sawai Mansingh Stadium at Jaipur – captain Shane Warne was determined to avenge his team’s earlier defeat and was helped by the in-form Shane Watson. The Australian batsman scored a commanding 40-ball 74 which comprised of 5 boundaries and an equal number of sixes.

Chasing 157 for victory, Rajasthan got off to a shaky start losing two wickets including the in-form Yusuf Pathan in the first twenty balls. But the arrival of Watson at the crease seemed to give them a new lease at life. He formed a good partnership with Graeme Smith before he departed on 24.

Apart from Smith, it was pretty much Watson all the way as he single-handedly took Rajasthan to victory. Barring Shane Warne, the entire Rajasthan middle order was sent packing to the pavilion with single-digit scores.

Amit Mishra claimed the best bowling figures for Delhi picking up 2 wickets for 27 runs off his 3 overs.

Earlier in the day, Shane Warne won the toss and put the Delhi Daredevils to bat. The Gambhir-Sehwag-Dhawan trio, which have been a menace for all bowlers in the tournament, was not allowed to get into full rhythm by the Rajasthan bowlers.

IPL debutant Dimitri Mascarenhas, Siddharth Trivedi and Player of the Match Shane Watson took two wickets each as they never allowed a Delhi partnership to get going for too long.

Farveez Maharoof’s massive strikes in the 19th over bowled by Warne produced 26 runs and was the only reason Delhi reached a respectable 156/7 in their 20 overs.

The next match of the IPL will see the Kings XI Punjab go up against the Bangalore Royal Challengers who desperately need a win to keep their hopes in the tournament alive. They will face each other at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium at Mohali on Monday.