‘One person never takes such calls. Management and support staff is there to discuss such things’
They were the heroes of the chase — but not the ones chosen for the Super Over. Rajasthan Royals' decision to sideline in-form batters Nitish Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal in the final showdown against Delhi Capitals has become the biggest talking point of the IPL 2025 thriller in Delhi.
Nitish Rana had smashed a quickfire 51 off just 28 balls and stayed at the crease till the 18th over of the chase. Yashasvi Jaiswal also notched up a composed 51 off 37 deliveries. Yet, when it came time for the Super Over, RR sent out neither of their half-centurions. Instead, Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag were chosen to face Mitchell Starc — a decision that left fans and pundits stunned.
Jaiswal was reportedly next in line had a wicket fallen, but Rana wasn’t even among the three batters listed for the Super Over. The move backfired dramatically.
Starc, bowling with precision and using reverse swing effectively, started with a pinpoint yorker to Hetmyer that resulted in a dot ball. Although the Australian pacer missed his mark on the next delivery — which Hetmyer slashed for a four — he quickly regained control with a tight low full toss, which yielded only a single.
Riyan Parag offered a moment of hope when he lofted a low full toss over third man for a boundary, also drawing a no-ball. At that point, RR seemed poised to post a big score with three balls remaining. But disaster struck as Parag and Jaiswal were run out in quick succession, and RR were bowled out for just 11 runs in the Super Over.
That total proved insufficient. Delhi Capitals’ KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs made short work of the chase, smashing two sixes in the first three deliveries off Sandeep Sharma to seal a famous win for the home side.
In the post-match press conference, Nitish Rana addressed the decision not to send him out for the Super Over. He clarified that it was a collective call by the team management, and stood by it despite the disappointing outcome.
"The management takes the call, not one person. The captain is there along with two other senior players and coaches. If Shimron Hetmyer had hit two sixes, then you wouldn't be asking this question. I will give the same answer. I don't have any other answer. Whatever decisions we took was absolutely right. Hetmyer is our finisher, that everyone knows. He has delivered in the past," Rana said.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders batter also supported the decision to hand the Super Over to Sandeep Sharma rather than Jofra Archer, citing past performances and strategic discussions.
"One person never takes such calls. Management and support staff is there to discuss such things. If the decision was in our favour then your question would have been different. Cricket is a result-oriented sport. If Sandeep Sharma had bowled well in the Super Over, which he has done in the past. In this situation, he was most likely the bowler for us. We were one big shot less. We were targeting 15 runs in the Super Over," he added.
While the Royals’ choices came under scrutiny, Rana’s composed and team-first responses reflected the volatile nature of cricket — where fine margins often separate genius from gamble.
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