In a dramatic night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Capitals edged out Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025’s first Super Over, sparking questions about team decisions—especially why Nitish Rana wasn’t sent out to bat in the high-pressure moment.
It was a match of ups and downs. DC scored 188/5, courtesy late assault from Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma. RR did the same, scoring 188/4 behind 51 from both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana.
But with the scores level, it all came down to the Super Over.
RR sent out Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, and Yashasvi Jaiswal to bat. It didn’t go well. They managed only 11 runs, losing two wickets in the process. DC chased it down with ease—scoring 12 runs in just four balls. Stubbs sealed it with a six over deep mid-wicket.
Fans quickly noticed that Rana, who had been key in RR’s run chase, wasn’t sent out during the Super Over. At the post-match press conference, the left-hander addressed the decision.
“It’s not just one person’s call,” Rana said. “There’s the captain, senior players, and coaches. If Hetmyer had hit a couple of sixes, no one would ask this. Hetmyer’s our finisher—he’s done it before.”
He added, “We were going for 15 runs in the Super Over. We fell one big hit short. If Sandeep Sharma had bowled the over well—which he’s done before—we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
DC’s win wasn’t just about the Super Over, though. Mitchell Starc played a big role, first defending nine runs in the final over of regulation play, then returning to bowl in the Super Over. Despite RR managing two boundaries—including one off a no-ball—poor running between the wickets cost them dearly.
This win pushes DC to the top of the points table and marks their first victory at home this season. It’s also their fourth win in a Super Over in IPL history.
Read Also: Watch: Rahul Dravid’s Blank Stare Goes Viral After Riyan Parag’s Bat Gets Checked Twice
