Delhi Capitals (DC) continued their dominance in the ongoing IPL as they thrashed Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (September 25) to reclaim a top spot on the points table.
Asked to bat first, DC posted 154/6 in 20 overs. While no batter managed to score a half-century, there were handy contributions from Shreyas Iyer (43), Shimron Hetmyer (28) and skipper Rishabh Pant (24).
In response, the Royals could score only 121/6 after being reduced to 55/5 in 11.5 overs. Captain Sanju Samson smashed a valiant 70 not out off 53 balls but his knock went in vain as RR fell 33 runs short of the target.
See Also: Kumar Sangakkara slams RR batters’ careless approach after failing to chase 154 against DC
For Delhi, Anrich Nortje starred with the ball as he claimed two wickets by conceding only 18 runs in his four overs.
Speaking after the game, Nortje said 154 was a very good score and his side always had the belief of defending it.
"We did not have a big chat, to be honest we thought it was a good score. It was quite difficult to score out there. We had discussions on what would be difficult to score and we just stuck to it," he said during a virtual post-match press conference.
Nortje is having a good time in the UAE-leg of IPL 2021 so far. He returned with the figures of 2/12 in Delhi’s resumption against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Wednesday (September 22).
"Warming up, it is just your normal stretches and getting a few balls in. There is nothing specific, everybody does the same thing. It is just about workouts and action when you are not on the field," said Nortje when asked about his bowling routines.
"Abu Dhabi wicket is definitely slower than Dubai. We were expecting it as well. We were a day game here, so it is not going to be quick, either it will be slow or very slow. Variations on good length is a very good option and hitting the hard length, it is not easy. Just try and hit the stumps. Shorter deliveries and half-volleys are easier to hit so just trying to hit a good length," he added.
Delhi Capitals will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next game at Sharjah on Tuesday (September 28).
