David Miller appeared to atone for earlier IPL struggles with two towering sixes in the last over, helping Delhi Capitals chase down 176 and defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in Bengaluru on Saturday. The win came despite a sluggish pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and RCB’s quality bowling, with DC needing a composed finish once the chase tightened.
Delhi’s chase: Rahul’s class, Stubbs’ calm and Miller’s late surge
With the target set at 176, DC were never guaranteed an easy passage. KL Rahul delivered an innings that looked closer to the longer formats than T20—scoring 57 off 34 balls—and Tristan Stubbs backed him with a stylish 60 not out from 47 deliveries. Miller then provided the final spark, smashing Romario Shepherd for two huge sixes as Delhi required 15 runs off the last over.
Rahul’s knock proved crucial after a poor start threatened to derail the chase. He struck a particular rhythm against Josh Hazlewood, hitting two sixes and three fours. Both of those maximums stood out: one was an inside-out lofted stroke over extra cover, while the other came from a flick that used a late wrist snap.
Rahul reached his half-century in 30 balls, but his stay ended when Krunal Pandya dismissed him—sending the spinner’s delivery into the hands of a diving Virat Kohli at long-on.
Rescue from pressure
Once Rahul departed, DC still managed to steady the chase. Rahul and Stubbs added 69 runs for the fourth wicket as the team recovered from 18 for three in just 2.5 overs. After that, Stubbs and Axar Patel combined for 47 runs for the fifth wicket, before Axar was forced to hobble off the field with a niggle.
By the time Axar left the field, Delhi were 134 for four in 15.5 overs—still needing 45 from 25 balls. Stubbs found support in Miller, and the pair knocked off the remaining runs with a ball to spare.
- DC finished on 179 for four in their chase, ending a two-match losing streak.
- Stubbs struck 60 not out (47 balls) to anchor the finish.
- Axar Patel made 24 runs before retiring hurt due to a niggle.
- Miller ended unbeaten with 22 not out from 10 balls, including two last-over sixes.
Miller’s turnaround and what RCB couldn’t fix
Miller had previously come under scrutiny for a near-miss situation in a different match against Gujarat Titans, where Delhi required two runs off two balls and he failed to deliver. On Saturday, the same mindset looked sharper. He did not give RCB the chance to claw back momentum in the closing over, clearing the ropes twice off Shepherd to seal the chase.
RCB suffered their second defeat of the season as DC completed the job comfortably once the finishing burst arrived.
RCB’s bowling moments
Even with DC ultimately prevailing, RCB’s bowlers created openings. Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a strong opening spell, taking 3/26 and removing Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi—demonstrating the value of old-school swing bowling early in the innings.
RCB’s innings: Salt’s 63, but a below-par total of 175/8
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru managed 175 for eight. Phil Salt made 63 in a well-constructed effort, but Delhi Capitals kept the rest of the batting under control and limited the defending champions to a substandard score for the conditions.
RCB’s start was far from fluent. The Capitals maintained tight control through the opening overs, sticking to disciplined lines and lengths during the first four overs.
Powerplay and early foundations
Virat Kohli contributed 19 and shared a 52-run opening partnership with Salt, whose fifty arrived off 38 balls. Kohli treated Mukesh Kumar with a couple of fine shots, while his England teammate struck a crisp four off Auqib Nabi.
Despite that brief brightness, the run rate during the early phase hovered slightly above eight. The turning point for RCB arrived when Axar Patel gave Nabi a third over, and the momentum shifted in Bengaluru’s favour.
- Salt punished Nabi for two fours and a six in the fifth over, bringing 18 runs from that stretch.
- RCB ended the powerplay on 59 for one, even after Kohli fell to Lungi Ngidi.
- Salt also appeared to find rhythm again, reaching his fifty in 30 balls.
Middle-overs slip and DC’s breakthroughs
Salt and Devdutt Padikkal added 47 for the second wicket before Padikkal—looking to attack—skied a catch to David Miller at deep off Axar (2/18). That wicket gave Delhi a firmer grip, and they used it effectively to keep RCB from building any consistent platform.
Soon after, Salt tried to loft Kuldeep Yadav (2/32) to Stubbs in the deep, and RCB slipped to 105 for three.
Rajat Patidar and Tim David threatened briefly with a familiar burst of aggression. However, Patidar chased a wide delivery from Mukesh and edged it to Rahul behind the stumps. David then struggled to handle Axar’s spin, with his heave ending in T. Natarajan’s hands near the boundary edge of the circle.
Improved spells from Axar and Kuldeep ensured RCB could not establish their usual rhythm in the middle overs. After reaching 99 for two in the first ten overs, Bengaluru managed only 76 runs in a flat final ten-over stretch.
That late stagnation meant RCB finished with their first total under 200 in a completed innings this season, setting DC a target they ultimately chased down with Miller’s decisive finishing.
