Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made an IPL landmark on Saturday, becoming the first team in the league to reach 100 matches at a single venue—M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Yet the occasion didn’t bring the celebration they would have wanted, as Delhi Capitals (DC) delivered a controlled, high-impact bowling display in the death overs to keep RCB to 175/8 in their Indian Premier League 2026 match at Bengaluru.
RCB’s chase of a big total never fully gathered momentum after the start, even though opener Phil Salt produced a striking spell of hitting. The England batter smashed 63 off 38 balls, finding four boundaries and clearing the ropes three times. Still, once DC tightened the screws in the latter stages, the momentum slipped away. In the final two overs, DC conceded only eight runs while taking two wickets. Over the last five overs, DC restricted RCB to 29 runs and collected four wickets, with Lungi Ngidi, T. Natarajan and Mukesh Kumar producing standout bursts on a pitch that played slower than usual.
Sent in to bat first, RCB got off to a lively start. Salt threatened early, carving Auqib Nabi Dar for a boundary in the opening over. Virat Kohli then added a signature flourish, striking Mukesh Kumar for an aerial drive over mid-off, but his innings was cut short when Ngidi forced a mistimed, scrambled ball to deep cover.
Salt kept attacking and reached his second fifty of the season with a huge six over long-off off Kuldeep Yadav in the ninth over. However, as spinners were introduced, the balance shifted in DC’s favour. Axar Patel sent Devdutt Padikkal back by getting him to hole out at long-on. Kuldeep Yadav then delivered a decisive blow in the 11th over, dismissing Salt with a flatter, more risk-free stroke that ended at long-off. Mukesh Kumar followed up, removing Rajat Patidar after he edged to KL Rahul behind the stumps.
Tim David managed a short-lived surge, striking 26 off 17 balls. His cameo included a flat-batted six off Ngidi, which also marked David’s 1,000th run in IPL cricket. But Axar struck again to remove David, with the batter’s leading edge taken at short third man. Romario Shepherd was next to go, trapped lbw by Kuldeep, and RCB’s score slipped from 110/3 to 149/6.
The final phase belonged to DC’s pacers. Natarajan was especially impressive in the 19th over, landing pinpoint yorkers and effective slower bouncers to give away just two runs. The 20th over underlined how RCB’s late-stage batting unravelled: Krunal Pandya was run out after a breakdown in communication on a wide delivery, and Jitesh Sharma fell to long-off, dismissed by an accurate slower cutter from Ngidi.
With DC set to chase next, the equation now favours the Capitals, but the pitch is still not an easy one to bat on. RCB’s bowling unit also gives them a clear edge, meaning DC will need to stay disciplined if they are to finish the job.
