In a nail-biting IPL 2025 showdown at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals edged past Rajasthan Royals in a Super Over thriller that had fans on the edge of their seats. With RR setting a target of 11 in the Super Over, DC’s KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs chased it down with two balls to spare. However, what sparked more debate than the result was RR’s puzzling decision to send Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag to bat in the Super Over, leaving out the in-form duo of Nitish Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Nitish Rana, who anchored RR’s innings with a brilliant 51 off just 28 deliveries, addressed the media after the match to shed light on the team’s strategy. Despite being one of the standout performers, Rana was not selected among the top three Super Over batters. He candidly spoke about the call, acknowledging the management’s decision but also hinting that the team might revisit their choices in similar situations going forward.

“The management takes the call, not one person. The captain is there along with two other senior players and coaches. If Shimron Hetmyer had hit two sixes, then you wouldn’t be asking this question. I will give the same answer. I don’t have any other answer. Whatever decision we took was right. Hetmyer is our finisher; everyone knows that,” Rana said.

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Rana defends the team’s tactical choices despite fan criticism

Rana also defended the move to give the Super Over ball to Sandeep Sharma, rather than the more seasoned Jofra Archer, repeating that cricket is an outcome-based game where hindsight is commonly behind criticism. "One individual never makes such decisions. Management and support staff are present to talk about these kinds of things. If the choice was in our advantage, then your query would have been different," he mentioned.

Rajasthan Royals had agonizingly nearly won, requiring 9 runs for the last over before Starc's brilliance subjected the match to a Super Over. Poor judgment cost run-outs of Parag and Jaiswal in the Super Over, limiting RR to a sub-par 11. That was not enough as Delhi kept their nerve to win two vital points and regain the top spot with 10 points from six matches.

It was a night to remember at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 16, as the Delhi Capitals edged past the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a high-voltage IPL 2025 clash. The match had everything—an electric Delhi crowd, nail-biting final overs, missed opportunities, and a gripping Super Over finish. With this dramatic win, DC not only secured two points but also climbed to the top of the points table. More than just a win, it felt like a statement of intent from the Capitals.

Both teams finished their 20 overs with identical scores of 188. Delhi recovered from early setbacks, thanks to explosive knocks by Tristan Stubbs (34* off 18) and Axar Patel (34 off 14), to post 188/5. Rajasthan Royals looked poised to chase it down, riding on strong performances from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana. But needing just 9 runs in the final over, they were stopped in their tracks by Mitchell Starc, who delivered a masterclass in death bowling. His pinpoint yorkers and the last-ball run-out of Dhruv Jurel pushed the game into a thrilling Super Over, where Delhi held their nerve to seal a memorable victory.

DC vs RR: Super Over Full Saga

Rajasthan Royals Bat First

Batters: Riyan Parag & Shimron Hetmyer

Bowler: Mitchell Starc

• Ball 1: Dot Ball – Starc starts with a searing yorker. Hetmyer can’t lay bat on ball.
• Ball 2: FOUR – Full and wide, Hetmyer carves it over midwicket, Royals off the mark.
• Ball 3: 1 run – Full toss worked to long-on. Hetmyer hands the strike to Parag.
• Ball 4: FOUR + No-Ball – Fortuitous edge from Parag flies past the infield. Starc oversteps – free hit coming up.
• Ball 4 (Free Hit): RUN OUT! – Parag tries to sneak a second but KL Rahul is quick with the gloves.
• Ball 5: RUN OUT! – Yashasvi Jaiswal, the new batter, is sent back trying to double. Superb throw from Fraser-McGurk seals his fate.

RR finished on: 11/2
In a five-ball chaos, RR lost two wickets to run outs and missed out on a bigger total despite the no-ball boost.

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Delhi Capitals had a target of 12 runs in Super Over

Batters: KL Rahul & Tristan Stubbs

Bowler: Sandeep Sharma

• Ball 1: 2 runs – Rahul flicks a slower ball to deep midwicket. Close run-out, but safe.
• Ball 2: FOUR – Sandeep again goes short. Rahul slaps it over the backward point.
• Ball 3: 1 run – Rahul calmly takes a single to give Stubbs the strike.
• Ball 4: SIX! – Stubbs finishes in style! Picks the slower one early and launches it into the Delhi sky over midwicket.

DC chase 12 in 4 balls – WIN BY 1 BALL REMAINING

Relive the entire moment ball by ball here;

 

 

 

 

 

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Stubbs Shines, Starc Stuns in Super Over Win

The final over in regulation and the Super Over belonged to two men – Tristan Stubbs and Mitchell Starc. Stubbs was electric at the death, slamming 34* in 18 balls, and finishing it in the Super Over with a crunching six. He had earlier been dropped on 12 by Riyan Parag – a moment that came back to haunt RR. Mitchell Starc, despite being taken apart early by Jaiswal (4, 6, 4 in his first over), bounced back to deliver a masterclass in death bowling. His final over figures of 1-8 under pressure took the game into a Super Over, where he again stood tall.

Other Notable Moments

• Jaiswal's explosive start: 51 off 27 and hammering Starc early set the tone for RR.
• Sanju Samson retires hurt: Looked in fine touch before a suspected side strain forced him off at 61/0.
• Stubbs' game-changing throw: In the 20th over, he ran from wide long-on to stop a certain two, keeping RR to a single, crucial in the context of the tie.
• Sandeep’s meltdown: After a brilliant spell (3-0-14-0), he bowled 4 wides and a no-ball in the 20th, conceding 19 runs.

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DC are on Top of IPL 2025 Points Table

This win was DC’s fifth in six matches, taking them to the top of the IPL 2025 points table. They held their nerve in a game where both teams had multiple chances to close it out. Munaf Patel, DC’s bowling coach, was also in the spotlight – fined 25% of his match fee for a code-of-conduct breach after getting into a heated exchange with match officials during the final moments.

But on a night where fortunes flipped with every over, Delhi emerged victorious, thanks to cool heads and bold hearts. One Super Over. Countless twists. IPL 2025 just delivered another unforgettable classic.