DC make it four in four
Delhi Capitals 169 for 4 (Rahul 93*, Stubbs 38*, Bhuvneshwar 2-26) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 163 for 7 (Salt 37, David 37*, Kuldeep 2-17, Nigam 2-18) by six wickets
It started so well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), then for 15-odd overs, it didn’t. Then it suddenly started going to plan again and the RCB loyalists, who had packed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the rafters, found their voice. Only to have local lad KL Rahul silence them.
In what was a game that had a fair share of twists and turns, Delhi Capitals (DC) continued their unbeaten run, notching up a fourth straight win of the season, handing RCB a second home defeat by six wickets.
Sent into bat, it was a bizarre RCB innings. They scored 53 runs in the first three overs for zero wickets, 36 in the last two for zero wickets, and in the 15 overs in the middle could only manage 74 runs while losing seven wickets. Having restricted RCB to 163 for 7, DC would have the happier side going into the break. But their joy was short-lived as RCB picked up three wickets inside the powerplay and had DC struggling at 67 for 4 after 11 overs.
The required rate which began at a shade over eight an over was almost touching 11 at this stage. But Rahul flicked a switch and alongside Tristan Stubbs started DC’s victory march. The duo scorched 102 runs in the next 6.5 overs, adding 111 for the fifth wicket as DC romped home with 13 balls to spare. Rahul finished with an unbeaten 93 off just 53 balls and celebrated in fitting fashion in front of his home crowd.
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Rahul the hero for DC
It's all changed in the blink of an eye. After Rahul's sent Hazlewood all around the park, it's time for Stubbs to bring out the long levers. He takes down Suyash Sharma first with a scorching cover drive and then goes over long-on for six. He then goes after Stubbs for two fours before it's Rahul's turn to take over. A six over deep midwicket followed by a reverse scoop over short third. And he finishes off the chase with a flick of the wrists. Stunning, stunning acceleration for Rahul. From 29 off 29, he finishes on 93* off 53 balls. Stubbs plays his part with 38* off 23 balls. The duo put up 111 runs off just 55 balls to notch up a win for DC with 13 balls to spare.
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Rahul picks up pace
He was on 29 off 29 at one point. Now, suddenly, he's brought up his fifty off 39 balls. All clean shots from Rahul. And it all began with an innovative reverse sweep by Stubbs against Krunal in the 12th over. It was like a switch was flicked and Rahul piled on. He first went straight over deep backward square leg for six before going 4,6 against Liam Livingstone. While Yash Dayal bowled a lovely comeback over, Rahul then took on Hazlewood and ripped him apart smashing him for three fours and a six in the 15th over which went for 22 runs.
There is a slight mizzle around the Chinnaswamy stadium, but it is very light. As things stand, DC are ahead on DLS.
DC need 43 off 30 balls. Their win probability has jumped to 79.04% after Rahul's onslaught. And the crowd has gone silent again.
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What does the forecaster say?
It's in RCB's favour at the moment. ESPNcricinfo's forecaster had given DC a 67.45% chance at the start of the chase. That's slipped to 14.31% at the end of 11 overs. It can change, for sure, but DC need someone to get going.
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DC's chances nosedive
It's not been the easiest of goings for DC and that's largely to do with how well RCB have bowled. After the fast bowlers did the job early on, it’s time for the spinners to shine. Suyash comes in as the impact sub and has Rahul in trouble almost right away. Krunal, meanwhile continues with his wicket-to-wicket lines often darting the ball in and not giving the batters much to work with. Rahul has struggled a fair bit on what has been a sluggish Chinnaswamy pitch. But DC need a move on and they need it right about now.
DC’s required rate which was a fraction over eight at the start of the innings has now soared to close to 11 an over. Can Rahul and Stubbs revive DC?
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RCB's powerplay all the way through
Bowling has never been RCB's stronger suit, and that's no secret. They have always been a team with a superstar batting unit, and they have been vocal about it. But, things have changed this season. In Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar, RCB have two solid swing bowlers and Dayal, who was retained has been dependable.
And once more these three bowlers have started well. Bhuvneshwar bowled three overs in the powerplay and went for just 14 and picked two wickets. He's kept it at the length and short of a length channel and reaped the rewards. Both his wickets have come with the line just outside off stump, and that's where he has been all match. The Test match line and length. Hazlewood comes for the final over of the powerplay and again, he's right on the money... on a length just in and around off stump. Plenty of times bowlers try to be too funky in T20 cricket. Here are two bowlers, who are operating with the speeds in the early 130 range and still being as effective.
4 Number of false shots that Bhuvneshwar induced in his first three overs
Overs four to seven
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A contrasting beginning for DC
Just the kind of start Patidar would have hoped from his bowlers after what was a below-par show with the bat. Just two overs and the DC openers are back in the hut. While RCB had gone bonkers in the first three overs of their innings, DC have gone the other way. Two down with just 21 on the board. Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have both struck. Du Plessis first miscues Dayal to Patidar at mid-off before Jake Fraser-McGurk's lukewarm season continues as he top-edge Bhuvneshwar Kumar straight up with Jitesh Sharma taking a catch after a bobble. A couple of crisp boundaries by both KL Rahul and Abhishek Porel, the impact sub, but DC have a bit of catching up to do.
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RCB restricted to 163 for 7
First three overs: 53 runs; Last two overs: 36 runs; 15 overs in between: 74 runs.
In what was a bizarre innings, Delhi Capitals (DC) restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 163 for 7 in their second away match in IPL 2025. But, for a while, it seemed the narrative would be a lot different.
Sent into bat, Phil Salt had just one agenda on mind: to send every ball he faced to as close to Cubbon Park as possible. He wreaked havoc in the first three overs smashing four fours and three sixes as he finished with 37 off just 17 balls.
The highlight of his knock was laying into Mitchell Starc. Salt smoked him for three fours and two sixes in the third over of the innings, which went for 30 in all as RCB crossed the 50-mark in three overs. This was RCB’s second-quickest fifty of all time.
But then it all went downhill.
Salt flat-batted Axar Patel to extra cover and set off. Virat Kohli also took a few steps down before backtracking and Salt, who slipped midpitch, was out by a mile. RCB, who had scored 53 runs in the first three overs, added just 11 in the next three, with Mukesh Kumar also slipping in a wicket-maiden.
Vipraj Nigam was smashed for six over long-on by Kohli, but the legspinner came back in style. He kept tossing the ball up and Kohli’s attempted inside-out shot ended up in the hands of Starc who took a good catch running to his left from long-off.
The middle overs belonged to DC through and through. Kuldeep Yadav was relentless with his lengths and also got the wickets of Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar as he finished with 2 for 17 off his four overs. Nigam was also frugal as he picked 2 for 18 in his four overs.
That RCB reached 163 was down to Tim David’s late bash where he smashed four sixes and two fours in the last two overs to finish unbeaten on 37 of 20 balls.
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David... David!
The crowd finds its voice again. And of, course it is finisher David who has flipped the narrative. He goes 6, 4, dot and 6 against Axar Patel in the 19th over before laying into Mukesh Kumar in the final over with two sixes and a four. What a bizarre innings this has been: 53 in the first three overs, 36 in the final two and just 74 in the 15 in between.
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Tim David: the T20 finisher
In the last five years, only Nicholas Pooran and Rashid Khan have played more T20 matches worldwide than David's 247, but 27 batters have faced more balls. He is a specialist in one of the strangest positions in world sport: the T20 finisher. He says he is happy to be a spectator when RCB bat. But, that's not the case tonight. He's come in just before the death overs, and has a much tougher task of getting RCB to a strong total after what has been a bizarre collapse.
RCB need finisher David and need him right about now.
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It's all falling apart
I must admit, rarely have I seen Chinnaswamy this quiet. Even the DJ's attempt to spice up the crowd is failing. He goes Aaaarr-Ceeee-Beee with a lot of and is met with a much feeble aar-cee-bee. And further, Patidar's wicket is not going help in getting the chants back. After inducing a false shot off Jitesh Sharma's blade, he coaxes Patidar into another false shot. Was a lovely dipping delivery, that Patidar could only spoon straight up for Rahul to take the simplest of catches.
There is a deafening silence at the Chinnaswamy. Can Tim David and Krunal Pandya do something to flip the script?
74 Rajat Patidar's control percentage against DC
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A comeback for the ages
It took RCB only three overs to reach their team fifty; it’s taken 8.4 more overs to reach the 100-mark. Runs are coming at a trickle for the home side. But what’s changed for the DC? It’s the lengths that have done the trick for them. Since the fourth over, they have stuck to the length and short of a good length plan and that has given them all five wickets with the batters barely managing any boundaries. According to ESPNcricinfo's ball-by-ball data, since the fourth over, DC have bowled 44 length and short-of-a-good length deliveries and have conceded only 37 runs.
Overs 11 to 14
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Nigam snags Kohli!
Vipraj Nigam will remember this day for a long time, that's for certain. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo recently, he said he would love to have a chat with the likes of Virat Kohli. He said that he was pleasantly surprised with all the recognition he is getting, and after Thursday, he is certain to get much more of it after grabbing the huge wicket of Kohli. The opener smashed Nigam for a six over the long-on but the legspinner was unfazed as he kept tossing the ball up and induced a false shot. Kohli, who tried to go inside out, ended up slicing the ball and Starc took a good catch at wide long-off. Bigam's celebration shows how much the wicket means to him as he gets engulfed by his team-mates.
And, it's suddenly gone very quiet in Bengaluru. Patidar does manage to hit Patidar for six over cow corner but it's all been DC since the fourth over. And, it goes from bad to worse with Liam Livingtone also falling for 4.
RCB are 91 for 4 after 10 overs.
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A powerplay of two halves
First three overs: 53 for 0; five fours, three sixes, zero wickets
Next three overs: 11 for 2; zero fours, one six, two wickets
Next three overs: 11 for 2; zero fours, one six, two wickets
After the madness of the first three overs, DC have stormed back and with some authority. It all came about with the wicket of Phil Salt, who went for a non-existent run, slipped and was run out by a mile. Up until his dismissal, RCB had raced to 61 for 0 in 3.4 overs, but it went downhill thereon. Salt smashed an Axar length ball to extra cover and charged off. Kohli responded initially, only to backtrack and Salt was stranded in the middle.
Vipraj Nigam then conceded just two runs in his first over with Devdutt Padikkal clearly struggling. He was put out of his misery by Mukesh Kumar whose slower offcutter did the trick. His first over, the sixth of the innings turned out to be a maiden wicket as DC managed to curb the flow of runs amazingly well.
Last three overs of the powerplay
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Expensive Starc
3 This is the third time Mitchell Starc has conceded 25-plus runs in an over in the T20s, all since 2024.
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The Chinnaswamy stadium has come alive
Oh, my word! There is absolute bedlam in the Bengaluru stands as Salt lays into Starc. This is hitting of the highest order from the opener. The English-Australia battle and the Englishman has taken full toll. I must add that Starc has been all over the place in his second over. The first ball is right in his slot and that is whacked over the bowler's head. The next ball is flayed over point, then to mid-on's right. The next ball is sliced over point... but hang on, Starc has overstepped as well. Salt then latches onto the free hit and swipes it over the keeper's head for six. And the over ends with four leg-byes, which also brings up RCB's team fifty in 18 balls . Phew!
Thirty runs of the third over and there is absolute frenzy at the stadium.
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3 Three overs is the second-fastest that RCB have managed to reach fifty in the IPL. Their quickest was 2.3 overs against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in IPL 2011
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Salt takes on Axar
The first six of the night comes off Phil Salt's bat in just the second over. And he quickly follows it up with a four. Wowza, the sound at M Chinnaswamy stadium is absolutely deafening. Axar Patel bowls the second over. He had bowled just the one over in the previous game and has a finger injury. He he quickly taken to the cleaners by Salt. Mitchell Starc bowls a decent first over with good speeds; even the five wides had Salt moving out of the way quickly. DC on the look out for some early wickets.
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And we're ready!
Here come the two RCB openers to a huge roar from the home crowd. Former RCB paceman Mitchell Starc has the new ball, and another former RCB player KL Rahul is behind the stumps. What are the matchups to watch out for?
Mitchell Starc vs Virat Kohli: Kohli has never fallen to Starc in T20 cricket and has scored 87 runs in 49 balls at a strike rate of 177.5.
Mitchell Starc vs Phil Salt: Salt has also never fallen to Starc in T20s, though the sample size is much smaller
Mohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli: Kohli has never fallen to Mohit Sharma as well in T20 cricket and has scored 90 runs off 62 balls
Axar Patel vs Virat Kohli: Axar has a decent record against Kohli: 78 runs in 71 balls and has dismissed him once
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DC bowl in Bengaluru; du Plessis fit
Axar Patel, the Delhi Capitals captain, won the toss and had no hesitation in bowling first in front of a packed Chinnaswamy stadium which had a sea of red flowing.
He confirmed that Faf du Plessis, who missed DC’s previous game due to a groin strain is fit. He comes in place of Sameer Rizvi. Axar also confirmed that his injured finger, which saw him bowl just one over in the previous match, is also fine.
“My finger is fine, protecting it a little better, but will see, might even bowl four overs. Faf is fit, so Sameer Rizvi is out. KL will bat in the middle order. The spinner’s role is also very important. We have two legspinners, and in the middle overs have told them to go for wickets."
Rajat Patidar said he wanted to chase as well, while confirming an unchanged RCB side.
“Definitely wanted to chase. The surface is pretty hard and will try to put a good total on the board and put them under pressure,” he said. “There has been a bit of planning as well, but I always back my instincts. It is important to win matches at home and have the momentum going.”
DC are unbeaten so far in the tournament. They started with a close one-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants before getting the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings rather comfortably. RCB, on the other hand, have played four games so far and have lost only one game, incidentally at home against Gujarat Titans.
Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals: 1 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 KL Rahul (wk), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Ashutosh Sharma, 6 Axar Patel (capt), 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mukesh Kumar
DC Impact subs: Abishek Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal
RCB Impact subs: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh
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1 vs 3: what to expect?
Axar Patel's reign as full-time captain has started in grand fashion, with DC unbeaten in three games so far. Could things change in Bengaluru? He will hope not. RCB have also started well, though they the only game they have lost so far this season was at home not long back. Home games have been RCB's Achilles heel, but they will hope to get a winning start today.
There are plenty of plots to look at. Virat Kohli, a Delhi boy out and out so loved and adored by the Bengaluru loyalists. Then there is KL Rahul, a Bengaluru boy, who is now playing for DC and is 'back to enjoying my cricket'. How can one forget Du Plessis, who got so much love from this crowd for three years when he was captain. Also, Mitchell Starc, who has plied his trade with RCB in the past and is currently DC's highest wicket-taker.
Then there is also Josh Hazlewood, who has been the is shining for RCB in the bowling attack. But this time with the new ball. Shashank Kishore writes on why watching Hazlewood train is like getting a lesson in simplicity. His sessions are short and sharp, focused on rhythm and precision - testing his full range while delivering a metronomic stream of balls.
For other intricate details, Shashank also has you covered in his preview of this classic game.
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Hey, ho... let's go!
Hello from Bengaluru where we are all set for RCB's second home game. The crowd has been lining up from as early as 4.30pm and can confirm that there is a sea of red jerseys and flags in the stands. There was absolute pandemonium when the RCB bus arrived with people lining up on both sides of the street outside the ground. And an even bigger roar on the first sighting of Virat Kohli inside the ground. Meanwhile, Faf du Plessis looks set to feature after missing the opening game due to a groin strain. He was one of the first few DC players to arrive and looks untroubled as he goes through the warm-up sessions. Du Plessis has a terrific record at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium where he was captain for three years. He is the fourth-highest run-getter with 651 runs in 17 innings at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 161.94. He has also shown decent form in the two innings so far this season, with scores of 29 and 50.
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