Live Cricket Score - DC vs RR, Match 36, IPL 2021

That's all from us folks! There's another encounter coming up on this Super Saturday. Until next time then ...

ALL OVER - DC reclaim the top spot on the points table

DC win by 33 runs while Samson stays unbeaten on 70 off 53. RR really had no chance after losing three wickets early and posting just 23 in the powerplay. Iyer, Pant, Hetmyer set the total of 154 for the side before the bowlers ensured RR couldn't really get going. This is the first instance of Sanju Samson remaining unbeaten in a run chase and his side has ended up losing.

Lowest totals successfully defended by Delhi in IPL

• 150 vs RR Bloemfontein 2009

• 152 vs RR Delhi 2012

• 154 vs RR Abu Dhabi 2021 *

50 for Samson

The RR captain still believes and his side will as well till the time he's out there. RR still need 56 off 18 and have Tewatia out in the middle as well.

DC 99 for 5

Five overs to go, 73 needed off 30 and RR have five wickets in hand

Four down

RR going no where in the chase. There was a small partnership between Samson and Lomror but Rabada has dismissed the former.

RR 48 for 4

Powerplay done - RR 21 for 3

Ashwin strikes

It's going from bad to worse for RR. Samson managed to overturn a decision with the help of DRS but now Ashwin removed Miller. Pant this time gets involved with a stumping.

RR 17 for 3

RR rocked early

Not the start the team needed in chase of 155. Both openers have been dismissed in the first seven ball of the chase. Avesh Khan got Livingstone while Nortje gets Jaiswal. Both caught behind and RR in some early trouble.

RR 6 for 2

Jaiswal and Livingstone will open for RR ...

DC post 154 for 6

This is a fighting score with DC making 50 in the last five overs. Iyer and Pant scored a half-century stand while Shimron Hetmyer struck 28 off 16 to give the side a late push. Mustafizur Rahman ends with 4-0-22-2 as RR go back believing they can chase this score down. It's not an easy pitch to bat on but set batters can score runs.

Five down

Hetmyer falls to Mustafizur - caught at short third - trying to go for big shots. Second wicket for the pacer and he has figures of 3-0-15-2 in this game so far. Three overs left, how many will DC get?

DC 124 for 5

Big wicket

Tossed and well outside off by Tewatia. Iyer went after to and wanted to fetch it from outside off to the on side. Was out of the crease and easy stumping for Samson. Iyer goes for 43 and another wicket at the wrong time for DC.

DC 90 for 4

Fizz strikes

The pacer has ended the 62-run stand with the wicket of the DC captain. Pant wanted to pull the short ball but with the ball not coming on, he's chopped it back onto his stumps. Timely wicket for RR.

DC 83 for 3 in 11.4 overs

10 overs done

A nice little partnership between Iyer and Pant. They've scored 45 off 35 and are taking the DC innings forward. With the ball not coming on, it's not going to be a high-scoring game but DC will aim for at least 80 from here on.

DC 66 for 2

Powerplay done - DC 36 for 2

Agree?

Two down

Two wickets in space of seven balls for RR. Chetan Sakariya not gets rid of Shaw. Full and angling across, Shaw wanted to hit it over the top but mistimes it to mid-off.

DC 22 for 2

Dhawan falls

Kartik Tyagi gives RR to early breakthrough. Short of a good length and Dhawan has chopped it back onto his stumps. He falls for 8 off 8.

DC 19 for 1

Alright then, Shaw and Dhawan will open for DC. Mustafizur has the ball and we are all set ...

TOSS - RR opt to field, bring in Miller and Shamis; Lalit Yadav comes in for Delhi Capitals in place of Marcus Stoinis

DC - Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Lalit Yadav, Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan

RR - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Kartik Tyagi, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman, Tabraiz Shamsi

Hello and welcome to the live blog of the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals. The first afternoon game and the teams will try to beat the heat in Abu Dhabi.

Before we get going, here's something from Bharath Ramaraj ahead of the clash -

Anrich Nortje sending David Warner back to the pavilion with a snorter was a significant moment in the overall narrative of Delhi Capitals' crushing win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. It just reiterated the point that with Nortje and Kagiso Rabada in their ranks, DC have the required arsenal to run through sides, especially considering the prevailing conditions in Dubai. The pacemen employed the cross-seam delivery and hit more of the 8 metre short of a good length to share five wickets.

However, in the IPL, matches come thick and fast as DC's focus shifts to the other side of the Sheikh Zayed Road when they take on Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. Incidentally, in the IPL 2020, DC lost three of their five games in Abu Dhabi. The wicket in Abu Dhabi is relatively slower and DC's pack hunters - Rabada and Nortje - perhaps have to vary their pace a little more. In such conditions, Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin could come in handy. Axar has good control and also surprises the batter with his scrambled seam variety.

With the batting unit also firing collectively, there aren't many concerns for the DC camp. Shikhar Dhawan has blended superbly with Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Shimron Hetmyer and co. add more depth to the line-up. Meanwhile, their opponent for the day, RR, too will come into the match with loads of self belief after Kartik Tyagi pulled off a Houdini act in the final over versus Punjab Kings. At this crucial phase of the tournament, even a snippet of optimism could give a side the required momentum. And for a side like RR, grappling with the unavailability of key players, a come-from-behind win acts as the perfect tonic for the battles ahead.

Tyagi wasn't the only RR cricketer to shine brightly on that night as the side had a few more positives to take from the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mahipal Lomror, and RR's new recruit - Evin Lewis - grabbed their opportunities by making useful contributions. On the flip side, Chris Morris, IPL's most expensive buy, looked short of rhythm but the rest of the attack rallied around him well. Despite all the positives from the game, RR still find themselves in the mid-table quagmire and can't afford too many slip-ups.