Bengaluru, April 10 (ANI): A gritty and commanding 93 not out from KL Rahul guided the Delhi Capitals (DC) to a convincing six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, maintaining DC’s perfect start to the season with four wins from four matches.
Chasing 164 on a tricky surface, Delhi were rocked early, reeling at 30/3 inside the first four overs. RCB’s bowlers were on fire with Bhuvneshwar Kumar picking up two key wickets, including Abhishek Porel, after Faf du Plessis (2) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (7) fell cheaply.
Things got worse when captain Axar Patel (15 off 11) was dismissed by Suyash Sharma, leaving DC at 58/4 in the 9th over. But what followed was a remarkable turnaround.
KL Rahul, steady under pressure, took charge and stitched a 111-run unbroken partnership with Tristan Stubbs (38 off 27)**. Rahul’s innings was a masterclass in pacing a chase — cautious early on, then shifting gears as he approached his fifty and finishing the game with ease. His knock of 93 off 53 balls included 7 fours and 6 sixes, sealing the win in just 17.5 overs.
Stubbs supported perfectly, rotating strike and accelerating when needed. Together, they blunted the RCB attack and ensured DC got home with 13 balls to spare.
Earlier in the evening, Phil Salt gave RCB a flying start with a 17-ball 37, smashing 30 runs in a single over off Mitchell Starc. But DC hit back through Mukesh Kumar and Vipraj Nigam, reducing RCB to 64/2 by the end of the powerplay.
Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals as Kuldeep Yadav (2/17) and Vipraj Nigam (2/18) tied down the middle overs. Skipper Rajat Patidar (25) and Krunal Pandya (18) tried to stabilize, but it was Tim David’s late fireworks — 37 off 20* — that lifted RCB to a defendable 163/7.
Despite that late surge, KL Rahul’s brilliance ensured Delhi stayed unbeaten and solidified their place in the top two of the IPL 2025 points table.
Match Summary:
RCB 163/7 (Phil Salt 37, Tim David 37*; Kuldeep Yadav 2/17, Vipraj Nigam 2/18)
DC 169/4 in 17.5 overs (KL Rahul 93*, Tristan Stubbs 38*; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/26)
Delhi Capitals are looking increasingly like title contenders — composed under pressure, and now with KL Rahul in sublime form.
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