Mitchell Starc, the seasoned Australian left-arm pacer, delivered a masterclass under pressure in Delhi as he played a pivotal role in Delhi Capitals’ dramatic Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals. After being named Player of the Match, Starc admitted he was a bit surprised by Rajasthan’s decision to send in two left-handers—Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer—for the Super Over, given how the ball was tailing back into them from his angle.
“It was a bit of a surprise to see left-handers come in with my angle, as the ball was tailing back in. Got one wrong with the sideline no-ball, but fortunately we had the batting depth to get the job done,” Mitchell Starc said during the post-match presentation.
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Starc had earlier made a crucial impact during Rajasthan’s run chase. With 31 runs needed off the last three overs, he conceded just eight in the 18th and dismissed the well-set Nitish Rana with a searing yorker. He returned to bowl the final over, defending nine runs with icy composure to force a Super Over.
𝙉𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖. 𝙀𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨! 😉
A quick morning catch-up on that late-night Super-Over nail-biter! 🙌#TATAIPL | #DCvRR | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/QeKsfPmCyk
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 17, 2025
In the one-over eliminator, Starc gave away just two boundaries and was backed brilliantly in the field with two sharp run-outs. Rajasthan finished with only 11 runs. DC batters KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs kept calm, chasing it down with a four and six to seal Delhi’s first home win of the season.
Earlier, DC posted 188/5 after being asked to bat. The innings was built around a solid 49 from Abishek Porel and fiery cameos from Axar Patel (34 off 14) and Stubbs (34* off 18), setting a stiff target.
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In reply, Yashasvi Jaiswal (51) and Nitish Rana (51) had RR in control, but Delhi’s bowlers staged a remarkable fightback to level the scores. The thrilling finish gave DC a much-needed lift ahead of their next clash against Gujarat Titans on April 19 in Ahmedabad.
