Sehwag sends Daredevils to top spot

Virender Sehwag’s electrifying performance helped Delhi Daredevils cruise to a 6-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals which put them on top of the league table.

Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision turned out to be the right one as his bowlers put the Royals on the backfoot early. They reduced the hosts to 47 for the loss of three wickets at the end of the Quick start period, having also picked up the dangerous Yusuf Pathan. Rajasthan Royals failed to recover from their early collapse and slipped to 57 for four at the halfway mark. Abhishek Jhunjhunwala kept them in the contest with an unbeaten half century but they finished with a less than challenging total of 141 at the end of their 20 overs.

The Daredevils run chase got off to a cracking start with Virender Sehwag looking in top form. They raced away to 40 for no loss in just four overs and the Royals were feeling the heat. Dimitri Mascarenhas pulled things back with the wickets of Gambhir and Tillakaratne Dilshan in the next over but Sehwag remained undeterred and continued to play some powerful shots all round the park. He quickly reached 76 off just 33 balls before getting caught by Graeme Smith off Munaf Patel’s bowling. The game was firmly in Delhi’s favour as the Castrol Index worm clearly indicates and they eventually got home in the 18th over.

Sehwag was adjudged Man of the match for his thrilling knock. He maintained a strike rate of 220 and a Batting Momentum of 165.