Delhi Capitals stun RCB with 6-wicket victory

KATHMANDU: In an Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, Delhi Capitals staged a brilliant comeback to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Opting to bowl first after losing the toss, Delhi was set a competitive target of 164 runs.

The chase, however, began on a shaky note as Delhi lost their top three batters for just 30 runs.

Under immense pressure, KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs engineered a match-winning partnership that changed the course of the game.

Rahul played a sensational knock, smashing 93 runs off just 53 deliveries, including seven fours and six towering sixes.

After the dismissal of skipper Axar Patel for 15, Rahul and Stubbs stitched together an unbeaten 111-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Stubbs added a valuable 38 runs off 23 balls, guiding Delhi to 169/4 with 13 balls to spare.

Rahul’s explosive innings earned him the Player of the Match award.

Earlier, RCB began their innings with a bang, thanks to opener Phil Salt, who blazed his way to 37 off 17 balls. Despite a strong start, RCB failed to maintain momentum. Rajat Patidar contributed 25 runs, while Virat Kohli managed 22.

Tim David, batting at number seven, remained unbeaten on 37, helping RCB post a total of 164.

Delhi’s bowlers, especially the spinners, played a pivotal role in restricting RCB. Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Negi took two wickets each, conceding just 17 and 18 runs respectively in their four overs.

However, captain Axar Patel had an expensive outing, giving away 52 runs in his four-over spell.

With this crucial win, Delhi Capitals climbed to second place on the points table with eight points. Gujarat Titans also have four wins but are placed second due to a lower net run rate.

RCB sit in third with six points, while Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants round out the top five.