IPL 2018, Match 6, RR vs DD - Rajasthan Royals Player Ratings

The Rajasthan Royals put their first points on the points table in the IPL 2018 with a close win against the Delhi Daredevils. The win came at their home venue, in Jaipur. The stage was all set for the match up between two sides who had lost their first games of the season. Both teams desperately wanted to win. And now, at the end of the day, it is the Daredevils camp that is still searching for that elusive point on the points table.

Coming to the game, the DD skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and opted to bowl first. The move was the right one considering the fact that all captains have preferred chasing in the tournament thus far. The Daredevils sent back D Arcy Short and Ben Stokes cheaply in the game. Sanju Samson and Ajinkya Rahane then added crucial 62 runs to steady the ship.

Later, Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi added a few lusty blows to take the Rajasthan Royals total to 153/5 in 17.5 overs before the rain intervention took place. The game resumed and the Daredevils were set a target of 71 in 6 overs. Despite several big hitters in the DD camp, they failed to get past the total and ended up scoring just 60/4 in 6 overs. The Royals registered a 10 run win (DLS method).

Here are the Rajasthan Royals Player Ratings for the match:

D Arcy Short – 1/10

The unlucky run, or rather the lack of it (pun intended), does not seem to end for the Australian batsman. D Arcy Short was run out for the second time in as many number of matches in the season. Yet again, the miscommunication between him and Ajinkya Rahane saw the former getting run out early on in the innings.

Ajinkya Rahane – 7/10

The Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job with the bat on the day. After having lost Short early, Rahane kept the innings together. He did not let the wicket of Ben Stokes affect him either and continued to anchor the innings. He played a timely knock of 45 off 40 deliveries to keep the innings steady on the day.

Ben Stokes – 2/10

English all-rounder Ben Stokes is arguably the most popular name in the Royals setup. In the game, he was promoted at number three and many believed that this could be his day. He played well for his 16, which included a six and a four, but was undone by a screamer from Trent Boult. Later, on the field, he took a good catch to send Vijay Shankar packing.

Sanju Samson – 8/10

Young Sanju Samson has been the most consistent player for the Royals in the two matches played thus far. Samson looked in fine touch with a quick 37 off 22 balls to his name. A couple of lofted shots over the deep midwicket region spoke volumes about his class and temperament.

Jos Buttler – 7/10

English batsman Jos Buttler had a decent time in the game. Buttler came in to bat at a crucial stage in the match. He was expected to up the ante and the Englishman tried his best to do so. Buttler smacked 29 off just 18 deliveries with two fours and as many number of sixes to his name. With the gloves, he was decent behind the stumps on the day.

Rahul Tripathi – 5/10

Hard hitting batsman Rahul Tripathi was asked to bat in the middle order yet again. Tripathi arrived at the crease in the 14th over and joined Buttler in the pursuit to get some quick runs. He remained unbeaten on 15 off 11 balls with a six to his name before the rain intervened.

K Gowtham – 4/10

The Karnataka all-rounder did not get a chance to bat on the day, neither did he have a great time with the ball. He bowled the first over in the match and gave 10 runs. But Gowtham made his presence felt with some good field work. He took a swirling catch that saw Rishabh Pant head back to the pavilion on the day.

Shreyas Gopal – Not Assigned

Shreyas Gopal did not bat in the match. Also, with just 6 overs to negotiate with, the Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahane did not throw the ball to his spinners.

Dhawal Kulkarni – 8/10

Dhawal Kulkarni is an experienced campaigner and he made all his experience count on the day. When the opposition is chasing a total at a required rate of over 11, they least expect an over to go for just four runs. But Kulkarni did just that. Bowling the second over in the innings, he conceded just 4 runs.

Jaydev Unadkat – 5/10

Jaydev Unadkat started off with three dot balls in the match. However, he then lost the plot against Glenn Maxwell. Unadkat ended up conceding 24 runs in the two overs that he bowled. The saving grace for him was the wicket of Rishabh Pant that he bagged in his second over.

Ben Laughlin – 8.5/10

The Australian speedster was very impressive with his bowling on the day. Albeit he conceded 20 runs in the two overs that he bowled, he managed to take the big wicket of Glenn Maxwell in the innings. Also, he later accounted for the dismissal of Vijay Shankar. Laughlin took the pace off the ball and that made it difficult for the batsmen to slog.

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