Delhi Capitals (DC) produced a brilliant bowling performance to beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 13 runs in the 30th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Wednesday in Dubai, UAE.
Anrich Nortje breathed fire, delivering the fastest delivery in the history of IPL, while Kagiso Rabada used all his experience to frustrate the Royals at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. But debutant Tushar Deshpande showed exemplary calmness. Nortje and Deshpande took a brace each, 2/33 and 2/37 respectively; while Rabada extended his wicket-taking spree with figures of 1/28 as Capitals restrict the Royals to 148/8.
After the match, Rabada hailed Deshpande unequivocally and said the Indian youngster didn't look like a debutant.
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"Deshpande is a youngster who has a lot of passion for the game. He has talent and hunger and it didn't look as if it was his first game. He has a lot of work to do and could be a real talent for India in the future," Rabada, who has claimed at least a wicket in 22 consecutive IPL matches, said.
The 25-year-old also shared his thoughts on South African compatriot Nortje's breathtaking performance.
"We learn a lot from each other. He is a real fast bowler and I can learn some technical stuff from him. I have some experience which I can tell him about. It is good to chat," IPL's second-most consistent bowlers added. Only Dwayne Bravo (27) has taken more wickets in consecutive matches.
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The 13-run win helped Delhi complete a league double over Rajasthan and go top of the IPL 2020 points table with six wins and two defeats in eight outings. Defending champions Mumbai Indians are second, with five wins and two defeats from seven matches.
Next, the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit take on three-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Sharjah on Saturday. The skipper picked up a shoulder injury while fielding during the Rajasthan innings. But he's expected to be fine. Delhi already lost bowler Ishant Sharma and are sweating over wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant's fitness.
