Virender Sehwag butchered Rajasthan Royals with a blistering 75 as Delhi Daredevils bulldozed their opponents from Jaipur by six wickets for their second successive win in the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Monday .
Sehwag's swashbuckling 34-ball 75, bejewelled with eight brutal fours and five massive sixes, made it a lop-sided contest as the Daredevils cruised to 142 for four in 17.1 overs, inflicting on their opponents their second straight defeat of the tournament.
Earlier put into bat, Rajasthan Royals found themselves in a hole before the 60-run stand between Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (53 not out) and Paras Dogra (29) lent some respectability to their total of 141 fos six which was never enough.
Chasing a modest target, the Daredevils got off to a rollicking start -- cruising to 42 for no loss in just ogver three overs -- with Virender Sehwag in the thick of things.
Sehwag hit Dmitri Mascarenhas for back-to-back fours, a treatment meted out to Shaun Tait as well.
Munaf Patel was welcomed with a six, followed by a four and even though Mascarenhas removed Gautam Gambhir (9) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) off successive deliveries, Sehwag was simply unstoppable.
To make it worse for the Royals, Shaun Tait dropped Sehwag off Mascarenhas when the batsman was on 41 and the Delhi power-hitter celebrated the respite hitting Amit Unyal's first three deliveries for two sixes with a four sandwiched in between.
Munaf Patel eventually ended Sehwag's blitzkrieg knock with Graeme Smith taking a blinder but the match was well in the Daredevils' pocket by then.
Earlier, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala's unbeaten 53 saved Rajasthan Royals the blushes as the 2008 champions fumbled and faltered their way to 141 for six.
Rajasthan Royals looked in a complete mess before Jhunjhunwala's 60-run stand with Paras Dogra (29) sort of steadied the ship.
Jhunjhunwala's unbeaten 53 came off 45 balls with five fours and a six in it but the Royals could never break free as most of the Daredevils bowlers maintained a stifling line and length.
The Rajasthan Royals began with Swapnil Asnodkar (5) putting away the first ball of the innings for a delectable four before his opening partner Graeme Smith (18) hit Farveez Maharoof for two boundaries in that high-yielding over.
Dirk Nannes, however, had other ideas and his very second delivery saw Asnodkar's back with an agile Tillakaratne Dilshan taking a smart, low catch at backward point.
Next man in Nama Ojha (24) took the Daredevils attack by the scruff of its neck before his unbridled aggression brought his peril. PTI
