Cheteshwar Pujara questions RR’s super-over strategy.
Cheteshwar Pujara, a former India cricketer, criticised the Rajasthan Royals (RR) management for bringing in the wrong hitters for the Super Over against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 32nd match on Wednesday. RR needed nine runs to win in the twentieth over, with Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel at the crease.
They were able to reduce the equation to two off one ball when facing Mitchell Starc. However, Jurel was run out on the last ball while trying a second run, sending the match into a Super Over. The audience was ecstatic because it was the first Super Over of the season and had been four years since the last one.
Nitish Rana had a strong game, scoring 51 runs off 28 balls and maintaining a strike rate of 182.14. However, RR dispatched Hetmyer and Riyan Parag for the Super Over, which did not seem like the best move. They only scored five runs in the over, and Hetmyer was run out again. The former player claimed that they should have opened with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Parag, with Rana at number three.
“I believe Nitish should have been present in all three. But I’m not sure whether he should have started. I’d like Jaiswal to start because of how he bats against Mitchell Starc. I understand it was the Super Over, and Starc was simply attempting to execute his yorkers, but there is a psychological benefit. “If Yashasvi had faced a few balls, Starc would have been under some pressure,” Pujara explained on Time Out.
Delhi clinch thriller to move closer to playoffs
Delhi Capitals held their nerve and chased down the 11-run target in just four balls, thanks to KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs’ sensible batting against Sandeep Sharma. It was the Delhi-based franchise’s fifth win of the tournament, bringing them closer to qualifying for the playoffs. Now, they need to win just three out of their remaining eight matches to officially secure a spot this season.
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