New Delhi: 

The ball released from the wrist takes a curvy trajectory and leaves the batter with no chance to play, striking either on the pads plumb or to the timber bamboozled – cinema? Well, this was the case when Australia pacer Mitchell Starc returned to the usual on Wednesday, during the Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals clash in Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

The fans on social media couldn’t keep calm witnessing the “peak” performance of Starc and heaped massive praise on the Aussie speedster.

While some found the use of saliva (as IPL has lifted its ban) as a massive booster for extracting reverse swing, some highlighted the pacer’s sheer speed and abilities.

His teammate Mohit Sharma made it all the more difficult for Starc by leaking 14 runs in the penultimate over, meaning only nine were needed off the final over.

Despite hard-hitters like Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer on strike, Starc gave away just eight runs, tying the game and taking the affair into the season’s first Super Over.

Looking at his ferocious spell, Starc was handed the Super Over as well and conceded just 11 runs with RR folded in 0.5 over, the two batters getting run out consecutively.

DC won the thrilling contest by posting 13/0 in just four deliveries to go on top of the points table.

The Capitals were playing their second home game and posted 188/5 in their stipulated 20 overs. In response, the Royals matched up Delhi’s score, scoring exactly 188 in 20 overs, but the result could have easily gone in the Royals’ favour had it not been for Starc.

Although the Aussie pace-gun didn’t return any heroic figures (4-0-36-1), his style of bowling and toe-crushing yorkers made it extremely difficult for the visitors.

After giving away 20 in his first two overs, Starc was called back into the attack in the 18th over with RR requiring 31. In what was a fiery display of bowling, Starc showed nerves of steel and looked to have gotten into his prime form.

He bowled lethal reverse swinging deliveries that even got him the wicket of half-centurion Nitish Rana (51 off 28) and conceded only eight runs.

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