Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, 53rd Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: Indian Premier League 2019 Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Date & Time: May 04, 04:00 PM LOCAL

Rahane will take over the leadership duties in the absence of Smith © AFP

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RR make sorry exit from IPL 2019

Pant finishes the game in style by clubbing Ish Sodhi for a six. He played with a sense of responsibility today and his selection of shots were better. However, DC's victory was based on Ishant's ability to mix up his pace to pick up three scalps on a track that was gripping and turning.

Meanwhile, RR bowed out of the tournament. They put up a few good performances but weren't consistent enough. The RR camp though would be gladdened by the mature hand from the promising Parag.

Nearing the finish line

Pant moved across the crease to smack Aaron for a six while Rutherford helped himself to a six off Gopal's long hop. Even though Rutherford tried one shot too many and fell the next ball, DC are now just 10 runs away from crossing the finish line.

Sodhi picks up another

Ingram struggled for a while before he fell to the persistent Ish Sodhi. His third wicket. DC are still very much in control with just 33 more needed.

Pant's power-hitting skills

Pant and mishits. Despite losing balance and getting it via the toe end, Pant cleared the midwicket fence with ease. Parag was at the the receiving end. Eventually, Gopal lured Iyer to play a slog and dismissed him. However, the damage has been done. DC need just 55 in 75 balls now.

Boundaries and wickets

Delhi Capitals have started on a great note. Dhawan crunched some sublime shots through the off side with Shaw too dealing in boundaries. Just when RR's camp looked flat, Dhawan tried one shot too many and was dismissed by Sodhi. The New Zealand leggie also castled Shaw with the right-hander edging one onto the stumps.

Is there still life in this game?

win the toss and elect to bat first against the @DelhiCapitals.

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Captain comments:

Shreyas Iyer - It's an important game for us, we need to have a mindset of playing every game as a knock-out match, we are in a good mood as a team. Our batsmen love to bat on good bouncy wickets, this been a slow wicket - we didn't expect it, but we can't blame the wickets for our poor show here. Two changes for us, Keemo and Ishant are in, they replace Suchith and Chris Morris.

Ajinkya Rahane - We will bat first. The wicket looks dry, not sure how it will play, might get slower and slower, will look to put the runs on the board. For me, the team comes first, I respect their decisions, it's a great challenge and it's important to play well and win. We have a couple of changes, Ish Sodhi and Krishnappa Gowtham are in, for Smith and Unadkat. It's all about giving our best.

Good to see Keemo Paul getting a chance. On slower surfaces, he could turn out to be useful with his deceptive off cutter, the knuckleball and batsmen tend to find it difficult to pick his variations due to his quick arm action.

Toss

Rajasthan Royals have won the crucial toss and opted to bat. The track might slow down as the game progresses.

Pitch conditions

"There isn't a blade of grass, absolutely bone dry. It's quite hard, but there shouldn't be a lot of bounce. Bowl straight lines, it should turn, it's very hot and a score around 160 should be competitive. A bat-first wicket," declares Graeme Swann, in his pitch report.

Tracks in Delhi this season have been mostly slow but this one seems to be a tad harder underneath.

Build Up:

As we get to the business end of the IPL 2019, there is a mid-table tussle with a string of teams eyeing for the fourth and final slot in the playoffs.

RR, one of teams placed in the mid-table muddle, would look to find the escape route through the long tunnel when they take on Delhi Capitals in a do-or-die game. The escape route, however, depends on results of other teams. The franchise has to beat DC in their final match of the league phase and hope that SRH lose to RCB and neither KKR nor KXIP would win more than one of their remaining matches.

So will RR spin tales and find a way despite missing out on mainstays like Buttler, Archer and Smith? What about DC? Can they win their last game of the league phase and end up among the top two teams? The Delhi franchise would have to play without their spearhead Kagiso Rabada for the rest of the tournament after the South African was ruled out due to a back issue.

Fasten your seat belts as we will have all the action in a while.