Delhi Capitals (DC) beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 46 runs to lead the points table with 10 points.
Winning the toss , electing to bowl, RR struck early as DC lost Shikhar Dhawan in the second over as Jofra Archer picked his first wicket.
While Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw hit few fours and a six over of the next over, DC lost Shaw after Archer grasped a skier on his own bowling. RR then picked their third wicket in the powerplay as skip Shreyas Iyer who looking stunning was run-out following a fine fielding effort from Yashasvi Jaiswal who stood at short extra cover.
Marcus Stoinis, meanwhile, kept on the charge and counterattacked, hitting Shreyas Gopal for three sixes across two overs. However, DC lost another wicket via run-out as Rishabh Pant got out for 5 in the 10th over.
Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer then added 30 runs together before the former got out for 39. Hetmyer was then joined by Harshal Patel and the two duo put up 40 runs partnership, with Hetmyer smacking few out of the park.
The southpaw got out in the 17th over, but played a fine 45 runs knock off 24 balls with the help of a four and five sixes. Axar Patel, then played a 8-ball 17-run cameo as DC scored 184/8.
Needing 185 runs to win, RR lost Jos Buttler in the third over as Dhawan held on to a fine catch on the on side off Ashwin’s bowling. And therefore, Ashwin not just got Buttler in the non striker but also picked his wicket on the striker end.
Steve Smith, who came in one down was in a haste for the chase as he took on Kagiso Rabada in the 4th over, hitting a four and a six.
RR brought up their fifty in the 7th over. But they lost skip Smith on the first ball of the ninth over bowled by Anrich Nortje after Hetmyer took a stunning low catch in the deep square leg region.
DC introduced Stoinis into the attack in the 11th over. While Jaiswal hit him for a six on the first ball, Stoinis stuck on his third ball as he dismissed Sanju Samson after Hetmyer held onto a catch at dee mid-wicket.
Ashwin returned into the attack in the next over and got Mahipal Lomror out before Stoinis picked his second wicket, knocking his legstumps down to get Jaiswal out. Axar and Rabada then dismissed Andre Tye and Archer respectively.
While Rahul Tewatia hit 3 fours and 2 sixes and scored 38 off 29 balls, DC closed out the game, bowling out RR for 138 with 3 balls remaining. A handsome victory came running for the Delhi based franchise and it has been an overall performance from one of the teams that is almost sureshot for the playoffs.