In Jaipur, Delhi Capitals kicked off their pursuit of 186 with vigor, as the opening pair of Mitchell Marsh and David Warner propelled them to 59/2 by the end of the powerplay.
Warner, remaining undefeated at the crease, continued his aggressive approach by striking two boundaries off Avesh Khan in the eighth over.
However, just as Warner seemed poised for a substantial innings, a moment of miscommunication between him and skipper Rishabh Pant presented Rajasthan Royals with a golden opportunity, only for the hosts to fumble embarrassingly.
On the first delivery of the ninth over, Pant advanced down the track to take on Ravichandran Ashwin, but could only nudge the ball towards short extra cover. Sensing a chance for a quick single, Pant took a couple of steps forward, prompting Warner to rush out of his crease, before abruptly halting, leaving the Australian stranded.
Yashasvi Jaiswal swiftly retrieved the ball but instead of immediately returning it to Ashwin, he inexplicably took a few extra steps forward. When he finally released the ball, it was via an overhead throw rather than a simpler underhanded lob, catching Ashwin off-guard.
— Debi Cha (@ChaDebi95756) March 28, 2024
Despite Ashwin breaking the stumps with his hands while the ball ricocheted off, he visibly expressed frustration towards the young fielder, followed by sharp exchanges with skipper Sanju Samson, as they grappled with the gravity of the missed opportunity. The incident sparked a flurry of reactions on Twitter.
