Mitchell Starc ‘surprised’ by Rahul Dravid’s bizarre decision in DC vs RR Super Over, claims ‘we had the…’
Mitchell Starc commented on RR's strategy decision during the Super Over on Wednesday, and revealed that he was ‘surprised’ by their game plan.
Rajasthan Royals fans were left fuming after the team’s defeat to Delhi Capitals, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. The DC vs RR match was decided in the Super Over, and questionable strategical decisions by the hosts led to a defeat.
In the Super Over, RR were batting first, and decided to go with left-handers against DC pacer Mitchell Starc.
Also Read: Riyan Parag becomes latest victim of umpire's gauge test, forced to change bat after replacing injured Samson vs DC
During the run-chase Starc was pivotal for DC, and when RR needed 31 off 18 balls, he conceded only eight runs in the 18th over and also got 50-up Nitish Rana, with a yorker. In the final over with RR needing nine runs, Starc’s heroics enforced a Super Over, and then once again, he came out on top, restricting them to only 11/2.
What did Mitchell Starc say?
Speaking after the match, Starc revealed that he was surprised by RR’s decision to send left-handed batters against him in the Super Over. The home side and their head coach Rahul Dravid decided to go with Shimron Hetmyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal was the other left-handed batter. Starc only faced problems against Riyan Parag, who is right-handed, and Dravid’s plan didn’t work out.
Speaking after the match, Starc was asked about RR’s decision to go with left-handed openers in the Super Over. “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 side line no-ball, but we had the batting depth then to chase that down”, he said.
Mitchell Starc ‘surprised’ by Rahul Dravid’s bizarre decision in DC vs RR Super Over, claims ‘we had the…’
The win sent DC to top of the IPL 2025 points table with 10 points in six matches, packed with five wins and a defeat. Meanwhile, RR are eighth with two wins and five losses. Axar Patel’s captaincy has been a breath of fresh air for DC this season, as they were skippered by Rishabh Pant until last season.
Pant was released by DC ahead of the mega-auction and LSG acquired him for ₹27 Crores, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Meanwhile, DC roped in KL Rahul, who was LSG’s skipper until last season, for ₹14 Crores in a likewise replacement choice.
