KL Rahul looked like his old self again, but Delhi Capitals still couldn’t turn that momentum into a win as they slipped to a razor-thin defeat. In their chase at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, Rahul compiled a composed 92 to hold the innings together for most of the way, only for the effort to fall agonisingly short of the finish. Delhi finished on 209/8 while chasing a target of 211, meaning they required just one more run at the end. David Miller’s late cameo of 41 not out also failed to deliver the breakthrough as the match swung back and forth before ending in heartbreak for the visitors.
Rahul’s innings began with intention and then turned into sustained control. After Pathum Nissanka was dismissed early, the right-hander took charge, stepping on the accelerator and punishing loose deliveries for boundaries. He attacked Prasidh Krishna in one over to reach a smooth half-century off only 29 balls, keeping the chase firmly alive. Yet the pressure of a rising required rate meant he had to constantly weigh caution against risk, particularly as wickets kept tumbling at the other end. Rahul steadied the innings, then looked set to push it through in the final stretch—until Mohammed Siraj removed him in the 17th over. That dismissal brought an end to a fine knock, and while Delhi had momentum, they were never able to fully seize it.
It was a stark contrast to Rahul’s early season. After starting with a duck and a single across his first two matches, he showed what he can do when the situation demands composure—especially in chases that move beyond the 200-run mark. With wickets falling around him, he managed the tempo for as long as possible, even as the chase increasingly demanded a perfect finish.
Support from the other end was limited, and the partnership that did form didn’t last long enough to build a platform for the finish. Rahul and Nissanka put together a 76-run opening stand, but Rahul was the “second fiddle” as Nissanka struck 41 off 23 balls. The momentum briefly shifted toward Delhi’s advantage at the end of the innings when Nissanka smashed Mohammed Siraj for a couple of sixes and a boundary in the penultimate over. However, the game’s swing proved temporary, and the final phase didn’t go Delhi’s way.
Miller’s late surge kept the chase alive almost singlehandedly. The South African struck 41 off 20 balls, using the cleanest of hitting in the closing overs to place immediate pressure on the Gujarat Titans bowlers and briefly tilt the contest toward Delhi. But the margin at the end was unforgiving. With the innings reaching its final moment, Kuldeep Yadav was run out off the last delivery, leaving Delhi one run short. In the final over, Prasidh Krishna managed the endgame with calm execution, deploying variation effectively to deny Miller and secure a narrow result for GT.
Earlier in the day, Gujarat Titans posted 210/4, driven by Shubman Gill’s aggressive batting. Gill led the charge with a tough-minded half-century, helping his side build a total that offered a real contest in the chase. Alongside Gill’s 70 off 45 balls, which included four fours and five sixes, Jos Buttler contributed with a rapid 52 off 27 deliveries. Washington Sundar then added force to the innings, finishing with 55 off 32 balls after Delhi Capitals chose to bowl first.
