Image: Dhruv Jurel’s single instead of a second run and a first-ball run-out cost RR the match / © Cricket.com
With the First Super Over of the IPL 2025 and the Super Over in the IPL after a wait of 4 years, the match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Capitals was a close one for the fans and the players. With the Delhi Capitals taking on the win, they are now at the top of the table with 10 points to their name in the 6 games played so far, while on the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are at the 8th position with just 4 points to their name and hence the team has been struggling.
However, after the match, the talking point has to be Dhruv Jurel, the wicket-keeper batsman of the Rajasthan Royals who has been getting the blame of being the player who got Rajasthan Royals to lose the match by the way he was running and hence, his judgment in the final over has left many fans disappointed. The Rajasthan Royals dugout also seemed to be quite unhappy with the way he ran during the death overs, and hence, his running cost the game.
In the second innings of the match, the Rajasthan Royals found themselves in a thrilling chase against Delhi Capitals, a contest that would go on to produce the first Super Over of IPL 2025 after four long years. With just 23 runs needed from the last two overs, Rajasthan had two well-set batters at the crease, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel, both capable of finishing the match. What followed, however, was a dramatic turn of events where Dhruv Jurel’s running between the wickets came under the scanner, eventually costing Rajasthan the match.
The penultimate over, bowled by Mohit Sharma, yielded 14 runs for Rajasthan. But it was the final ball of that over, 18.6, that raised eyebrows. Hetmyer played a slower short ball down to long-on and pushed for two, but Jurel refused the second run. That decision proved crucial, as Rajasthan entered the final over needing 9 runs instead of 8, which could have made all the difference in a tight finish.
Mitchell Starc, known for his death-over brilliance, had the ball for Delhi. Rajasthan needed 9 runs from the last six balls. The over began with singles, doubles, and mounting pressure. On the fifth delivery of the 20th over, 19.5 saw Hetmyer playing Starc to long-on and called for a second run. But again, Dhruv Jurel turned down the double. Hetmyer was visibly disappointed. With Rajasthan needing just two runs to win, that double could have ended the match in their favour.
Instead, the equation boiled down to two needed from the last delivery. Starc, the master of yorkers, delivered again. Jurel could only nudge the ball to midwicket. The batters pushed for the second, but this time it was too late. Jurel was run out going for the match-winning run, and the scores were tied. Rajasthan missed the chance to win in regulation time, a chance that might have been taken had Jurel run those two earlier doubles.
Jurel, who played a decent hand scoring 26 off 17 with two sixes and a strike rate of 152.94, failed in the crucial aspect of game awareness. His decision not to go for the extra run, first on the last ball of the 19th over and then again on the penultimate ball of the 20th, ultimately led to Rajasthan’s collapse in the Super Over.
In the tiebreaker, Starc conceded two boundaries and a no-ball but still managed to restrict Rajasthan to just 12 runs. Delhi then chased it down with two balls to spare. The focus, however, remained on Jurel’s hesitant running, with many fans blaming him for not sealing the match when the opportunity was there. Rajasthan now sits at 8th in the points table with just 4 points, and the result has only intensified pressure on the struggling side.