KL Rahul, captaining Delhi Capitals in the absence of the injured Axar Patel, described Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s visible frustration after a dramatic chase at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Delhi ultimately pulled off a nail-biting win over RCB, powered by David Miller’s late surge, after Rahul and his middle order kept the target within reach.
Rahul on RCB’s mindset and DC’s early challenge
Rahul said he could sense that Virat Kohli and Phil Salt were not completely comfortable with the playing conditions from the start. He pointed to the early wicket tumble as a major factor, explaining that Delhi’s own momentum took time to settle after losing three wickets in the opening phase.
“I could see Virat and Phil Salt weren’t happy with the way the ball was coming on. Us losing three wickets in the first six overs didn’t make it easy for us. So yeah, all in all, it was a really good cricket game. After losing three quick wickets, the conversation was to continue playing good cricket shots and see how we could find boundaries while still putting pressure on the bowlers,” Rahul said following the match.
With Axar unavailable due to cramps, Rahul took over leadership duties and steered DC through a difficult powerplay. He stressed the importance of staying positive rather than retreating into defensive cricket, especially as the run rate demanded a steady climb.
“We didn’t want to go into our shell. If the run rate keeps climbing, it gets harder towards the end. The plan was to keep playing our shots and find boundaries while building pressure,” he added.
Rahul also acknowledged that RCB’s bowling setup offered meaningful challenges, including conditions that appeared to help bowlers with reverse swing. That, he said, made the pursuit far from straightforward against an experienced Bengaluru unit.
“We knew they had quality death bowlers, so we didn’t want to take it too deep. But at the same time, we believed in staying in the moment,” Rahul said.
How the finish unfolded: from tension to the final over
- Delhi Capitals chased 176 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, needing 15 runs in the last over.
- Romario Shepherd provided early control for RCB, but Miller flipped the contest with a pair of huge sixes.
- Those late blows ensured Delhi completed the chase with a six-wicket win, handing RCB a setback at home after a run of strong results.
Rahul said he had complete backing for his finishers, highlighting Tristan Stubbs and Miller as key to the endgame. He noted that both players regularly handle high-pressure closing overs in franchise and international cricket.
“There was full faith in Stubbs and Miller. They do this regularly in international and franchise cricket. We knew the last two overs would be a gamble for RCB, and that gave us a chance. We knew that Romario Shepherd or maybe Suyash Sharma would bowl, which gave our batters a good chance to hit a couple of sixes,” Rahul concluded.
Match summary: RCB 175/8, DC chase 176 with one ball remaining
RCB posted 175/8 after a start anchored by Phil Salt’s 63 and Virat Kohli’s 19. Delhi’s spinners then made a decisive impact, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav driving a collapse in the middle overs that kept Bengaluru’s total under pressure.
Despite an early scare that left Delhi at 18/3 inside three overs, Rahul steadied the chase with a controlled 57 off 34 balls. Tristan Stubbs followed with a match-defining knock of 60 not out, giving Delhi the platform to push through the final overs.
Miller then delivered the finish, scoring 22 not out and striking two crucial sixes during the last over to complete the chase and seal a thrilling six-wicket victory. The result brought an end to RCB’s five-match winning streak at home and broke their fortress in a high-pressure encounter.
