First Super Over of IPL 2025 puts Delhi Capitals on the Top
With nine needed off the final over, and six wickets in hand, Rajasthan Royals seemed to have had the edge, but only for Mitchell Starc to turn the script around. Starc bowled a stunning final over as the Delhi Capitals forced the first Super over of the IPL 2025 season in their latest encounter against RR.
The match number 32 played at the Arun Jaitley stadium proved to a totally nerve-wrecking and high voltage drama. After 40 overs of cricket couldn’t decide the winner, the Capitals held their nerves in the super over to have the last say. It was also the 15th Super Over in the history of IPL and the first since the 2021 edition of the cash-rich T20 league.
An absolute nail-biter that went down to the wire, as this season’s first one helped the Capitals return to winning ways and reclaim their top spot in the points table, dethroning the Gujarat Titans. The Royals, on the other hand, marched to their third loss on the trot and are struggling at eighth spot as of yesterday.
After being put to bat first, the Delhi Capitals set a fairly decent target of 189 for the Royals. Karun Nair, hero of the last match was run out at the non-striker’s end for a duck. Abhishek Porel and KL Rahul stabilized the innings, putting together a solid 61-run partnership for the third wicket. Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs added to the batting momentum for their side and made some much-needed valuable runs.
As the men in pink came to chase the total, Nitish Rana’s half-century was a great addition to their run bank. However, the skipper Sanju Samson led RR squad was levelled with the score of 188 for 4 in 20 overs, as Starc managed to defend the required 9 runs in the final over.
What could have become a smooth finish for the RR camp and claim the two points led to an unbelievable sight soon after. With just 2 needed of 1 ball in the last over, Starc’s deliveries felt like the out of syllabus content which RR batters despite trying their best, were unprepared for.
Starc bowled five pinpoint yorkers in a sensational final over, as Dhruv Jurel tried his best to squeeze in just final two runs but ultimately couldn’t. RR imploded in the Super Over, lasting just five balls, as they lost both Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal to run outs. The DC batters KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs chased down the 12-run target in just four deliveries.
What was surprising to see though was two left-handed batsmen being sent to bat in the super over, especially with the ball tailing back in. The left-hand and right-hand combination probably would have helped RR gain some extra runs in the tied over, as they fell short of it.
With DC needing 5 off 3 in the penultimate super over, Stubbs pulled Sandeep Sharma for a massive six to seal DC’s fifth victory in six games and take them to the top of the points table. The vibrant energy in the FC camp, which is a mix of youth and experience has been putting up dominant performances and wins likes these will definitely work in their favour going forward, as the tournament nears its halfway mark soon.
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