Mullanpur: Jolted by a dramatic loss at home after a dream start to the season, Delhi Capitals will look to put the setback behind them when they take on a faltering Rajasthan Royals in the IPL here on Wednesday.
Riding high on a four-match winning streak, the Axar Patel-led Capitals looked like a well-oiled machine before a stunning batting meltdown against Mumbai Indians halted their momentum here on Sunday.
What was meant to be a triumphant return to base ended in despair as the loss saw them slip to second on the points table. In contrast, Rajasthan Royals find themselves in a precarious position with just two wins from six matches, languishing at eighth. Their season has been marred by inconsistency.
Impact substitute Karun Nair, fresh off a prolific domestic season, led Delhi’s chase against MI with a dazzling 89 in pursuit of 206 in their first game at the Feroz Shah Kotla this season.
At 119/1 in 10 overs, the match looked all but sealed. But what followed was a jaw-dropping collapse, which included three run-outs in the penultimate over. DC were eventually bowled out for 193 in a chase of 205.
Though the Capitals will undoubtedly rue the missed opportunity of collecting two points, they have little time to dwell on the defeat with another crucial clash looming.
Once again, the spinners will hold the key for Delhi. Despite the challenge of the evening dew, wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and 20-year-old Vipraj Nigam will look to weave their magic.
Both these bowlers have been DC’s standout performers this season, their spin variations bamboozling opposition batters. However, skipper Axar Patel is yet to leave his mark. As captain, he has led the side admirably but the left-arm spinner has gone wicket-less in 14 overs across
six matches.