The IPL match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) turned out to be an absolute thriller at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. After both teams finished their innings tied, the contest went into a Super Over — a short, high-pressure tiebreaker where each team gets six balls to score as much as they can.
🔥 How the Match Unfolded
- Delhi Capitals batted first, scoring 188/5.
- Abishek Porel: 49 runs.
- Key contributions also came from KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Tristan Stubbs.
- In response, Rajasthan Royals were on track to chase the target.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Rana both played superbly, each scoring 51 runs.
- However, the Royals failed to score 9 runs in the last over bowled by Mitchell Starc, which forced the match into a Super Over.
⚡️ The Super Over Decision That Surprised Everyone
When the Royals selected their Super Over batting lineup, they chose:
- Riyan Parag
- Shimron Hetmyer
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
However, they did not pick Nitish Rana, even though he had just scored an impressive 51 off 28 balls during the main innings, showing top form.
Fans and cricket experts found the decision surprising, because Rana seemed like the perfect choice for such a clutch moment.
❓ Why Was Rana Left Out? Here’s What He Said
After the match, reporters naturally asked Rana why he wasn’t sent out to bat, especially given his strong performance.
Rana answered calmly, saying:
“The call is taken by the management, not by a single individual. The captain, two senior players, and the coaching staff are involved in that decision.”
He added:
“If Shimron Hetmyer had hit two sixes, then you wouldn’t be asking this question. That’s the nature of the game. Every decision was 100% correct based on the plan. Hetmyer is known as our finisher — everyone knows that. And he’s done it before.”
🧠 Rana’s Mature Perspective
Rana wasn’t upset about being left out. Instead, he emphasized that cricket is a team game and that no single player or coach makes these decisions alone.
He said:
“One person never takes calls like that. These decisions are made with input from management, support staff, and senior players.”
He also noted that if the outcome had been different — if Hetmyer had hit a couple of big shots, or if the bowler Sandeep Sharma had delivered a better Super Over — no one would have questioned the decision.
🎯 Why the Royals Made That Choice
The Royals seemed to have had a clear strategy:
- Shimron Hetmyer is known as a finisher — a specialist for high-pressure situations like the Super Over.
- Riyan Parag had been in solid form this season, playing confidently.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal is an explosive opener capable of big hits from ball one.
Rana, even though he was in great form that night, wasn’t part of their pre-set plan for the Super Over — the team likely stuck to their strategy rather than making a last-minute emotional change.
💡 Conclusion: A Game of Fine Margins
In cricket, hindsight is always 20/20.
Rana made it clear that he stood by the team’s decision and respected the process. The Royals were aiming for 15 runs in the Super Over but managed only 11, and two quick run-outs cost them the game. Delhi then chased the target comfortably.
His explanation shows maturity: in cricket, outcomes often decide whether a decision looks “good” or “bad” — and if a few shots or deliveries had gone differently, no one would be questioning the batting order at all.