Mishra, Ishant restrict Rajasthan Royals to 115/9

Veterans Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra snared three wickets apiece to help Delhi Capitals restrict Rajasthan Royals to 115 for nine in their final league match of the ongoing IPL here on Saturday.

Ishant (3/38) did the early damage before leg-spinner Mishra (3/17) came to the party to rock Rajasthan's innings.

Young Riyan Parag (50 off 49, 4x4s, 2x6s) was the lone bright spot for Rajasthan as he held on to one fort and notched up his maiden IPL fifty to take the visitors close to the 120-run mark.

Parag became the youngest player at 17 years and 175 days to score a fifty in IPL.

Rajasthan had a disastrous start after opting to bat as they were reduced to 30 for four at the end of the first six overs of powerplay with Ishant doing bulk of the damage.

Ishant struck in the second over, removing Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane (2) and then came back an over later to clean up Liam Livingstone (14).

To make matters worse for the visitors, in-form Sanju Samson (5) fell victim to an unnecessary mix up with Mahipal Lomror in the next over.

Lomror (8) didn't help his cause either as he handed Ishant his third wicket of the day, nicking one to Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.

Parag and Shreyas Gopal tried to stabilise the innings with a 27-run fifth-wicket stand before Mishra scalped two wickets in consecutive deliveries in the 12th over to disturb Rajasthan's resistance.

Mishra first foxed Gopal (12) to be stumped by Rishabh and then induced a faint edge from new man Stuart Binny, which again Rishabh obliged. This gave Mishra a chance for registering a hat-trick.

The leg-spinner was well on course of scalping a hat-trick but Trent Boult dropped a sitter at long-off to hand Krishnappa Gowtham life.

However, Mishra got his man an over later as Gowatham gave a straight forward catch to Ishant at long-off and Rajasthan slumped to 65 for seven.

Parag opened up late and smacked Ishant for two fours to pick up 18 runs off the 17th over and then smashed Boult for two sixes in the final over before perishing in the last ball of the innings.