(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) left Delhi Daredevils (DD) in a difficult situation where they have to win both their matches to nurture any hopes of qualifying for the play-off in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League after a victory in the rain-marred match on Tuesday at Visakhapatnam.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Pune boys were 19 runs ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis method when play stopped after 11 overs. In reply to Delhi Daredevils score of 121, the Pune team had mustered 76 for the loss of opener Usman Khawaja. Another opener and consistent RPS batsman Ajinkya Rahan hit a 36-ball 42 with five hits to the ropes and one over it to ensure that they get past DD score in case of rain that first stopped play after 8.2 overs. After one-hour stoppage play resume but after 11 overs rains came again and the umpires called of the play. Earlier, medium pacer Ashok Dinda (3-20) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3-21) helped Rising Pune Supergiants restrict Delhi Daredevils to 121 for six in 20 overs. Asked to bat, Delhi struggled as Dinda and Zampa continued their impressive performance to leave the visitors struggling for runs. Karun Nair (41 off 43 deliveries) anchored Delhi's innings, while South African all-rounder Chris Morris made a quick-fire 38 in just 20 balls towards the end to help his side cross the 120-run mark. Delhi got off to a bad start, losing openers Quinton de Kock (2) and Shreyas Iyer (8) inside five overs to Dinda. While left-hander de Kock was plumb in front of the stumps, Iyer attempted a bad pull as he was caught at deep square leg by Usman Khawaja. Fellow seamers Deepak Chahar (13-0) Irfan Pathan (17-0) and Thisara Perera (27-0) struck to their task and kept a tight line and length as Delhi struggled to up the slowish run rate. Nair provided some calmness in the middle but the pressure exerted by the seamers followed by the spinners - Zampa and Ravichandran Ashwin - took a toll on the rest of the batsmen. Sanju Samson (10) was stumped by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off leg-spinner Zampa, while Rishabh Pant (4) was caught by Perera at long off in the bowling of off-spinner Ashwin as Delhi reeled at 62/4 in 13 overs. Later, Nair also fell in trying to be overly inventive as his sweep missed the line off Zampa and kissed the front pad and the umpire didn't hesitate to rule him out leg before wicket (LBW) - with the score at 70/5 in 14.3 overs. Nair hit five fours. Dinda returned to dismiss Jean-Paul Duminy (14) to put a check on Delhi's scoring even at the death. However, Morris hit two sixes and a four in the final over bowled by Perera to help his side reach 121/6.