Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid has been facing heavy criticism for his controversial decision not to send Nitish Rana in the Super Over against Delhi Capitals after the original IPL 2025 clash ended in a tie at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 16.
From Rajasthan Royals fans to Delhi Capitals players and cricketers, everyone is blaming Rahul Dravid for the team’s crushing loss to the hosts in the Super Over. After Mitchell Starc’s brilliant final over tied the match and pushed it into a Super Over, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson and head coach Rahul Dravid made some bold decisions.
They sent Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag to bat first, using a left-right pair, and kept Yashasvi Jaiswal as the third batter waiting. This left everyone surprised as they left out the in-form batter Nitish Rana, who had earlier smashed a quick 51 off 28 balls against Delhi in the regular match. To make things worse for RR, Starc stayed calm and gave away just 11 runs in the Super Over.
Read Also: Sanju Samson provides a massive update on his injury and IPL 2025 availability for the Rajasthan Royals
Both Parag and Jaiswal were run out while trying to score quickly on the fourth and fifth deliveries. In reply, the Delhi Capitals chased down the 12-run target in just four balls against Sandeep Sharma, without losing a wicket, to seal the game against the Royals in Delhi.
After the match, even Starc admitted that he was surprised by RR’s decision to send left-handed batters against him in the Super Over. The Australian pacer said after the match, “It was a bit of a surprise to see left-handers come in with my angle as the ball was tailing back in. Got one wrong there with the sideline no-ball, but we had the batting depth then to chase that down.”
Axar Patel laughs at Rahul Dravid as RR handed DC an easy win in the Super Over
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals captain and Indian all-rounder Axar Patel also laughed at the RR’s unexpected decision during the Super Over. Axar said that they were expecting Yashasvi Jaiswal to face the pressure at first, but RR sent Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag in the Super Over.
The DC skipper couldn't help but chuckle at the twist of fate as RR's blunder turned out to be a game-changer for his team. Axar Patel said in the post-match press conference, “I thought Yashasvi Jaiswal would come straightaway in the Super Over. But whatever it is, it was good for us (smiles).”
Read Also: Sanju Samson, Rahul Dravid blasted for Super Over blunder; Rajasthan Royals' exit stamped?
Shane Watson calls RR’s call a brain-fade moment against DC in the Super Over
On the other hand, former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson called RR’s call a brain-fade moment, saying ignoring Rana was a nonsensical call made by Dravid and his team.
Watson said after the match, “There were some brain-fade moments, as there were a couple of run-outs. We kept on saying, What wrong has Nitish Rana done that he was not sent in the Super Over?" You have a batter who is set and has scored runs. In that case, not sending him made no sense.”
Additionally, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ian Bishop also criticized Dravid and Samson’s game plan for the Super Over. Both felt Yashasvi Jaiswal should have faced Starc first, and Rana’s presence could have changed the outcome of the Super Over in Delhi.
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