Jos Buttler's third ton, clinical bowling help Rajasthan Royals beat DC

A clinical bowling performance after Jos Buttler blasted a 65ball 116 helped Rajasthan Royals defend a score of 2222 against Delhi capitals to register a 15run victory in Match 34 of the IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium here on FridayPrasidh Krishna finished with 322 while R Ashwin ended with 232 as Royals weathered some anxious moments as they defended their big total to register their fifth win of the season and move to the top of the points table with 10 points overtaking Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore on higher net run rateButtler had set up the victory by stroking to his third century of IPL 2022 and Devdutt Padikkal contributed a superb 54 as Rajasthan Royals posted a massive 2222 in 20 overs the highest score of this season so farJos Buttler stitched 155 runs for the opening wicket with Devdutt Padikkal 54 as Rajasthan Royals posted a massive 2222 in 20 oversDelhi Capitals already ravaged by a Covid19 outbreak in their squad reached Wankhede Stadium instead of MCA Stadium in Pune without head coach Ricky Ponting who went into isolation after a family member tested positive this morningOn the field they ran into Buttler who was in imperious form as he built his innings with caution before hitting a plethora of shots in scoring 116 off 65 deliveries This was his third century of this edition of IPL and fourth overall Virat Kohli had scored four tons in a single edition of IPL in 2016 and now Buttler needs one more century to equal that record Buttler struck his first hundred of IPL 2022 against Mumbai Indians at DY Patil his second was against Kolkata Knight Riders at BrabourneButtler scored his 100 off 57 deliveries hitting eight fours and eight sixes as he and Padikkal raised 155 runs for the opening wicket their highest partnership for any wicket surpassing the unbeaten 152run stand for the third wicket between Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson against Mumbai Indians at Abu Dhabi in 2020 This was the first 150run stand for the opening wicket in IPL 2022Padikkal played second fiddle but displayed his range of shots hitting Mustafizur Rahman for three successive fours early in his innings as Rajasthan Royals made full use of the opportunity to bat first and set up a big target for Delhi CapitalsSkipper Sanju Samson stroked to a brilliant cameo of unbeaten 46 off 19 deliveries capitalising on a dropped catch when he was on 28They then came back to restrict Delhi Capitals to 2078 in 20 overs to seal a winDelhi came close in the chase thanks to superb innings by David Warner 28 Prithvi Shaw 37 skipper Rishabh Pant 44 and an unbeaten 15ball 36 by Rovman Powell to come close to the target but in the end they fell short narrowlyPowell raised hopes for a sensational victory by hitting three sixes off the first three deliveries of the final over but he could not complete the chase of 36 off six deliveries as Delhi lost the matchDelhi started at a brisk pace as David Warner and Prithvi Shaw raised 43 runs in the fifth over before Warner who hammered Prasidh Krishna to two successive fours in the fifth over and had slashed Trent Boult over short third man But Warner could not prolong his innings as he was out offering a thick edge behind to Sanju Samson off Prasidh Krishna trying to flick a length ball by backing away to the leg sideSarfaraz Khan lasted for only three deliveries caught by Prasidh Krishna off R Ashwin and Delhi Capitals were in trouble at 482 in the sixth over Skipper Rishabh Pant joined Prithvi Shaw in the middle and they raised 51 runs for the thirdwicket partnership both of them hitting some superb shots in the processBut the good tidings did not last long for Delhi Capitals as Shaw who survived a difficult chance off Boult and had struck Obed McCoy for a four and six of successive deliveries in the ninth over was out for 37 caught by Boult off Ashwin as Delhi slumped further into trouble at 993 in 10th overSkipper Rishabh Pant kept up the chase of the stiff target hammering Riyan Parag for a couple of sixes a thighhigh full toss posted over deep midwicket and a onehanded heave over longon as Parag attempted a roundarm deliveryHe was dropped by Chahal at deep fine leg off Prasidh Krishna his second life after Hetmyer dropped him earlier But could not capitalise on it as he got out a ball later caught by Padikkal off Prasidh as Delhi further slumped into the quagmireLalit Yadav struck a 24ball 37 and Rovman Powell a 15ball 36 but in the end Delhi Capitals fell short by 15 runsPowell made the match interesting as in the final over when Delhi needed 36 off six deliverie he blasted sixes off the first three deliveries raising hopes of hitting six sixes to seal a dramatic victoryHe hammered his third six of the 20th over off a delivery that they argued should be noball on height The umpires ruled it a legal delivery leading to the Delhi Capitals bench erupting in anger gesticulating furiously while a staff member rushed into the field to argue with the umpires In the end the umpires stuck to their gunsMcCoy bowled a dot ball and allowed only two runs off the fifth delivery and a dejected Powell skied the final delivery for Sanju Samson to pouch it gleefully to signal victory for Rajasthan RoyalsBrief scores Rajasthan Royals 2222 in 20 overs Devdutt Padikkal 54 Jos Buttler 116 Sanju Samson 46 not out Mustafizur Rahman 143 beat Delhi Capitals 2078 in 20 overs David Warner 28 Prithvi Shaw 27 Rishabh Pant 44 Rovman Powell 36 Prasidh Krishna 322 R Ashwin 232 by 15 runsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the contents in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever