IPL 2024: Fraser-McGurk, Porel shine as Capitals post 221/8

CHENNAI: Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel hit fifties as Delhi Capitals posted 221/8 in 20 overs against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.

Put into bat first, Jake was expected to do the things always does. Such was his disruptive reputation that even Trent Boult started off from around the wicket. It took four balls, including one of the deliveries hitting him the box, but on the fifth, Jake created room and launched the left-arm seamer over mid-off for a four.

He did not stop there. In Boult's next over, Jake clobbered the pacer into the sight screen before a ramp shot went for four. Two balls later, he swatted Boult over extra cover for another boundary. Meanwhile, Jake's partner Porel lofted Sandeep Sharma over mid-off and then drove him down the ground for another four as DC raced to 31/0 in three overs.

However, this was just the beginning. The next over from Avesh Khan went for a whopping 28 runs. Four fours and two sixes all off Jake's bat. First an inside edge, then a thump through extra cover and a slice behind the stumps for three consecutive boundaries. On the fourth ball, Jake created room to hit Avesh over mid-off for a six.

Then came a shot over point and a hoick off a full toss as Jake reached his half century in 19 balls. He fell immediately after trying to hit a full toss from R Ashwin only to find the point fielder.

Shai Hope too fell shortly after, but Porel took over. He hammered Sandeep Sharma for a four and then kept the boundaries coming off every bowler since. Yuzvendra Chahal was taken to the cleaners by Porel. The first ball a loft down over deep midwicket for a six and then a paddle sweep for four. Once again, Avesh was at the receiving end as Porel slammed him for a six to get to his fifty. He would eventually get out for 65 from 36 balls, but by that time DC were 146/4 in 13 overs. From thereon, despite the regular wickets, Tristan Stubbs took them to 221/8 in 20 overs. Stubbs got out in the final over but not before smashing a 20-ball 41.