Pant, Boult lift Delhi to 4-run win over Rajashtan in IPL
NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant hit a rapid half century and Trent Boult held his nerve in the last over as Delhi Daredevils edged out Rajashtan Royals by four runs on the D/L Method in a rain-affected Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.
Pant smashed 69 off 29 balls in Dehi's strong total of 196-6 in 17.1 overs before rain interrupted play for the second time.
Rajasthan's target was revised to 151 in 12 overs, but despite Jos Buttler's blistering 67 off 26 balls, Delhi hung in to restrict its opponents to 146-5.
Needing 15 runs off the last over, Boult conceded just one boundary and lifted Delhi from the bottom of the table to No. 6 with six points.
"Really important win, coming in this situation, was a heart-throbbing match," Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer said. "This wicket, here even 200 is less, but the bowlers kept their nerves and came back strong."
Rajasthan won the toss and opted to field after the match was reduced to 18-overs-a-side due to rain.
Captain Shreyas Iyer (50) and young Prithvi Shaw (47) laid a solid foundation with a 73-run second wicket stand after Colin Munro was dismissed for zero in the very first over.
Pant then provided acceleration with his powerful hitting as he hit five sixes and seven boundaries and put on 92 runs with Iyer for the third-wicket stand off 43 balls.
Left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat (3-46) removed Pant and Iyer in the 15th over, but both batsmen had led Delhi toward a strong total.
Buttler gave Rajashtan a brisk start of 82 runs off just 40 deliveries in an electrifying run chase as the Englishman hit seven sixes and four boundaries.
But Rajasthan lost three quick wickets and lost the momentum after leg-spinner Amit Mishra outfoxed Buttler with a googly and Pant did a smart stumping.
Boult removed big hitters Sanju Samson (3) and Ben Stokes (1) while D'Arcy Short (44) was caught at short third man off Glenn Maxwell's offspin.
Rajasthan also has six points but is one place behind Delhi on net run-rate.
"Definitely disappointed. Buttler was amazing, but we could've batted better," Rajasthan captain Ajinkya Rahane said. "We're still in the tournament ... all games are knockouts for us. It's all in the minds now. Character and attitude will be important."
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