KL Rahul returned to the venue where his journey from a promising youngster to a regular in the India setup began, and he did it on a winning note once again. At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Delhi Capitals batter contributed to a pressure-handling performance as his side defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with Rahul insisting that the mindset was simple: keep picking the right cricketing shots and stay calm through the closing stages.
Rahul’s calm captaincy and DC’s steady chase
- Rahul’s day started with a familiar feeling as he came back to his home ground surroundings, now wearing the Delhi Capitals colours.
- Delhi began their run-chase after restricting Bengaluru to 175/8, but they didn’t get the smooth start they would have wanted.
- During the powerplay, Delhi were reduced to 18/3, a collapse sparked by a standout spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
- Half-centuries from Rahul and Tristan Stubbs helped DC rebuild and regain control of the chase.
- As the match reached the death overs, RCB lifted their tempo and tightened the equation, bringing the target down to 15 runs required off the final over.
- David Miller finished the job in style, striking two sixes and a four to propel Delhi to their third win of the season with one ball to spare.
Speaking after the match, Rahul—who took over as stand-in captain because Axar Patel was ruled out with cramps—said the pitch offered something early on. He noted that Virat Kohli and Phil Salt were not happy with how the ball was behaving, and explained that losing three wickets within the first six overs made the challenge tougher.
Rahul also described the tactical conversation after that early setback, emphasizing that Delhi wanted to keep playing proper shots while finding boundaries without surrendering pressure to the bowlers. He added that dropping into a defensive shell would have made the end of the chase increasingly difficult, especially as the required run-rate rose.
He further pointed to the conditions, mentioning there was a hint of reverse swing and that RCB possessed quality death-overs bowlers. That combination, he said, meant Delhi aimed to stay focused over each over rather than trying to overreach in one stretch.
Rahul said Stubbs and Miller were never just names in the dressing room’s plan, highlighting that they have executed similar roles regularly in South Africa and in franchise cricket. He also explained that Delhi were aware RCB’s final overs would be a calculated gamble, with bowlers such as Romario Shepherd or Suyash Sharma likely to come into the mix—giving Delhi’s batters a clear opportunity to attack with intent. While Rahul admitted they would ideally have preferred not to take the chase into the 20th over, he summed up the night by saying the win made it worthwhile.
Points table impact and innings details
With this result, Delhi Capitals moved up to fourth place, collecting six points from three wins and two losses. Royal Challengers Bengaluru climbed to second position as well, staying strong with four wins and two defeats for a total of eight points.
Asked to bat first, RCB posted 175/8 in their 20 overs. Phil Salt top-scored with 63 off 38 balls, striking four fours and three sixes, while the rest of the innings saw wickets fall at regular intervals. Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel each claimed two wickets for Delhi.
In reply, Delhi slipped to 18/3 during the powerplay after Bhuvneshwar’s early breakthroughs. From there, Rahul and Stubbs steadied the chase with half-centuries—Stubbs finishing unbeaten on 60 off 47 deliveries. Miller then provided the finishing flourish, remaining 22* off 10 balls with a boundary count that included one four and two sixes as Delhi completed the chase with a ball to spare.
