Australian pace ace Mitchell Starc doesn’t speak too often. But when he does, it’s usually worth listening to. After the recent thriller that went down to a Super Over, the Delhi Capitals’ pacer revealed what he believed was a clear tactical error from the Rajasthan Royals. In fact, it’s hard to disagree.
The 32nd match of IPL 2025 between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals kept the fans on the edge of their seats. Mitchell Starc was handed the ball in the Super Over. The Royals sent out Shimron Hetmyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal to add some chunk of runs. But things didn’t go as planned.
Mitchell Starc used his experience to better effect and didn’t let the RR batters dictate terms. The Royals set up a target of 12 runs, which the Delhi-based franchise chased down without any fuss, courtesy of Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul.
Mitchell Starc surprised by Rahul Dravid and Rajasthan Royals’ bizarre tactic in Super Over
Speaking after the game, Starc said the Royals’ strategy surprised him. Rahul Dravid’s team picked the two left-handers Hetmyer and Jaiswal, which gave Starc the upper hand. The paceman adjusted his lengths, bowled full and fast, and made sure neither batter could settle. He knew he had a better chance of getting them out or stopping boundaries. Now, here’s the thing: Starc wasn’t being arrogant. He was just being honest, and if you rewatch that Super Over, you will see he was absolutely right.
When a team is playing a super over, it is all about choosing the right players for the right situation, but Rajasthan Royals seemed to misread the moment.
“Was a bit of a surprise to see left-handers come in with my angle as the ball was tailing back in. Got one wrong there with the sideline no-ball, but we had the batting depth then to chase that down,” Starc added, who was surprised’ by Rahul Dravid’s strange decision.
Rajasthan Royals gambled and lost. Mitchell Starc read the moment better, executed his plan, and made the job much easier for his team. With this win, DC moved to the top of the IPL 2025 points table with 10 points (five wins, 1 defeat). They will lock horns with the second-placed Gujarat Titans on April 19 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
