Delhi Capitals keep Kuldeep at bay to 'trouble' Rajasthan Royals

Kuldeep Yadav was the difference for Delhi Capitals in a high-scoring encounter against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi. His spell of 2 for 25 lifted his team to 5th on the points table and earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.

Chasing 222, RR was in with a chance at the start of the 18th over, needing 41 from 18 balls, but Kuldeep took two wickets and conceded only four runs to swing the match in DC's favour.

Kuldeep said after the match:

"It's very important to bowl in good length. That is the challenge when you bowl in the death overs, especially when you know they have got power-hitters coming up. I have seen [Donovan] Ferreira, having played against him in South Africa. I knew he is a back-foot player, so I just tried to push it further up. That was my plan to him, [and] I got him first ball. Then I was just varying the pace and the length."

After successfully reviewing the not-out lbw decision against Ferreira off the first ball of the 18th over, Kuldeep had R Ashwin caught behind off his final delivery. He had also conceded just 21 runs in his first three overs to break RR's growing momentum in the chase.

DC captain Rishabh Pant said the plan was to keep one of Kuldeep's overs for RR's right-handers - Ferreira and Rovman Powell - at the death.

After Kuldeep left RR with a huge ask in the last two overs, Pant said DC's fast bowlers were spot-on with their yorkers. Rasikh Salam took four in the 19th over - three of which were fours to Powell - while Mukesh Kumar took two in the final over.

Delhi has been a tough venue for bowlers this season, with first innings totals in excess of 220 in all four matches. DC's 221 against RR was the lowest of the four.

DC's win on Tuesday moved them up to fifth on the points table, level on 12 points with CSK in third, SRH in fourth, and LSG in sixth.