In the Indian Premier League match, Delhi Daredevils set a 144-run target for Rajasthan Royals at Super Sport Park ground here on Tuesday.Yusuf Pathan is the only player to have played two innings with a 200+ plus strike rate in IPL 2009.Yusuf Pathan scored his first fifty of IPL 2009 and the fifth of his IPL career.Yusuf: Today was my day. I was hitting them quite well. I didn't target any bowler, I just back my strengths and that is exactly what Smith told me all the time. Targetting the shorter boundaries was a conscious tactic. I appreciate Warne for planning things so well. A lot of credit goes to him and Smith.Daredevils scored 143 runs after losing seven wickets in 20 overs.
Yusuf Pathan scored a match-winning 62 off 30 balls, scoring at a phenomenal strike rate of 206.66, only the sixth instance when a batsman had a strike rate of over 200 in an innings in IPL 2009.Pathan smashed six sixes in his entertaining knock, the most in an innings equalling de Villier's record.A lively Supersport park was ready for action as the Delhi and Rajasthan captains walked in for the toss. The Daredevils captain Sehwag won the toss and decided to bat first. Paul Valthaty came in for Abhishek Raut.Virender Sehwag's side stayed in the game thanks to leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who took out the Royals' middle-order with three quick wickets, reducing them to 64-5 at one stage.
Proteas skipper Smith steadied the ship though and allowed Yusuf's whirlwind knock to eventually turn the game the Royals' way.Rajasthan needed 48 off the last five overs, but fluent batting from Smith and Pathan kept the run rate from burgeoning.Yusuf then whacked a six and four in consecutive Mishra deliveries as his final over went for 18 and left the Royals needing less than a run a ball from the last three overs.Aptly it was Yusuf who finished up the match as his boundary helped his side over the line with 1.3 overs to spare.The win puts the Royals in fourth place in the table on five points after their second win of the season - and leaves them just a point behind second-placed Delhi.
No comments:
Post a Comment