David Miller produced a signature finish at the Chinnaswamy on Saturday, April 18, lifting Delhi Capitals to a sensational triumph over defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Miller had been off the mark earlier in the campaign against Gujarat Titans when his side needed two runs from two balls and he failed to deliver. This time, the script changed completely—he arrived at the business end needing just one run from the last two deliveries, and there was no reason to settle for singles. On the penultimate ball, Miller cleared the ropes to seal a memorable win.
The match in phases
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 175/8 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 63; Axar Patel 2-18, Kuldeep Yadav 2-32) lost to Delhi Capitals 179/4 in 19.5 overs (Tristan Stubbs 60*, KL Rahul 57, David Miller 22*) by six wickets (Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/26).
Who won DC this contest? Even with Miller’s final flourish doing the headline work, it was Delhi’s bowling—particularly during the death overs—that ultimately tilted the contest. The matchup was widely framed as a showdown between the best death-bowling unit and the best death-hitting side in the IPL 2026, and the visitors clearly came out on top in that duel.
With 13 overs completed, RCB were sitting comfortably at 132/4. Tim David and Jitesh Sharma were already at the crease, while Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya remained in reserve. However, Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar delivered back-to-back overs that tightened the noose, producing a run of dot balls that increased the pressure. That pressure forced a key decision from David—he refused a single in the 16th over, looking to take control of the chase.
Axar reacted to that intent immediately. On the very next ball, he bowled wide of the batter’s target, slower and back of a length, and David couldn’t time it properly, resulting in a catch. That wicket sparked a difficult spell for RCB as Kuldeep Yadav then struck in the following over, trapping Shepherd plumb in front.
At the death, RCB managed only one boundary apiece — a lone four and a lone six — with both coming in the 18th over of the innings. T Natarajan followed with an excellent penultimate over, repeatedly making Krunal miss time with his changes of pace and angle. Lungi Ngidi then brought the innings to a close with style, conceding just six runs in the final over.
A see-saw first half
Delhi also contributed with the ball in stretches during the first half of the RCB innings. Auqib Nabi gave away a couple of boundaries in the opening over, but there were early signs the pitch would not stay easy. As the innings moved on, the scoring tempo became harder to sustain. RCB managed only 34 runs in the first four overs, yet the momentum shifted when Phil Salt attacked Nabi, punishing him for two fours and a six.
Ngidi’s introduction in the last over of the Powerplay paid off right away, as he removed Virat Kohli. Salt kept his foot firmly down, continuing to find boundaries regularly. Even with both sides enjoying productive periods, RCB still reached 99 in the first half of the chase.
How did DC respond in the Powerplay?
Delhi’s chase started with early trouble as Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck quickly. He delivered a sharp in-dipper that trapped Pathum Nissanka LBW, a decision overturned after review. Delhi introduced Karun Nair as the impact substitute, and he made an immediate difference, but his stay was short-lived. Phil Salt then pulled off another outstanding catch to dismiss him.
The bowler struck again just two balls later, removing Sameer Rizvi, with Jitesh Sharma completing a smart diving take behind the stumps. At 18/3, Delhi were in a precarious position, but KL Rahul steadied the chase. He attacked Josh Hazlewood with a six and followed it with two more boundaries, helping Delhi reach 50 by the end of the Powerplay.
RCB’s spin threat negated
While Kuldeep and Axar had a major say in the first innings, the story was different after the Powerplay. Krunal Pandya remained a threat and was involved in the crucial wicket of Rahul at a vital stage—especially after the opener had moved beyond fifty.
Before his dismissal, Rahul did take on Suyash Sharma, finding a handful of boundaries. But when he attempted to recreate that approach against Krunal, he lost his wicket. After that, Axar and Stubbs kept the run-rate under control and carried on with confidence. They also negotiated Krunal’s final over without taking unnecessary risks, while Suyash’s evening ended with figures of 3-0-31-0.
How did it go down to the wire?
Delhi looked fully in control after posting 80 runs in the middle overs, with the loss of only Rahul. Yet Axar—who had been struggling with cramps—had to retire hurt at one point, giving RCB an opening back into the match.
With Miller coming in, RCB managed to squeeze tight overs at the death, with Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar restricting the scoring. A six off Bhuvneshwar’s last over arrived at exactly the right time for Delhi as the pressure intensified, but Delhi still required 25 from the final 12 balls. Stubbs, now past fifty, punished a wayward delivery from Rasikh Dar for a boundary. The bowler then recovered strongly, keeping both South Africans quiet for stretches.
However, the final over from Suyash needed to be compensated for elsewhere, forcing Rajat Patidar to bowl Shepherd for the first time in the match—directly in the last over, defending 15. All the work done in the earlier overs was undone by the West Indian as he failed to land the ball on the right length. Miller made the most of it, striking 6, 6, 4 to complete the chase with a ball to spare.
Where do the teams go from here?
RCB: RCB get a significant break, returning to action only after six days. They will again play at home, with Gujarat Titans arriving next.
DC: Riding the momentum of the win, Delhi will look to build further as they remain on the road. Their next assignment is against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 21.
