RCB vs DC in M. Chinnaswamy (Screengrab/X)
Delhi Capitals skipper KL Rahul highlighted the obvious frustration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru after DC put up a tense chase at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, thanks to a late charge from David Miller.Rahul, who paced the innings with an authoritative half-century, revealed that both Virat Kohli and Phil Salt looked uncomfortable with the pitch conditions early in the match.
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Jitesh Sharma reveals RCB’s batting mentality
“I could see that Virat and Phil Salt were not happy with the way the ball was coming. Losing three wickets in the first six overs did not make it easy for us. So yes, overall, it was a really good match of cricket. After losing three quick wickets, the talk was to continue playing good cricket shots and see how we can find the boundaries while continuing to put pressure on the bowlers,” Rahul said after the match.Rahul took over the captaincy duties in the absence of Axar Patel, who was sidelined with cramps, and saw DC through the early troubles after losing three wickets in the power play. He stressed that the key is to stay positive despite setbacks.“We didn’t want to go into our shell. If the run rate keeps going up, it becomes more difficult towards the end. The plan was to keep playing our shots and finding boundaries as the pressure increases,” he explained.
Rahul also pointed out that there is some help for the bowlers, including hints of reverse swing, making the chase far from straightforward against RCB’s experienced attack.He added: “We knew they had good players, so we didn’t want to go too deep. But at the same time, we believed in staying in the moment.” The match eventually came down to a final over, with DC needing 15 runs. Despite early control from Romario Shepherd, Miller turned the match on its head with two scintillating sixes, sealing a memorable win.Rahul expressed full confidence in his strikers, especially Tristan Stubbs and Miller.“There was complete confidence in Stubbs and Miller. They do it regularly in international and franchise cricket. We knew the last two overs would be a gamble for RCB, and that gave us a chance. We knew that Romario Shepherd or maybe Suyash Sharma would play, which gave our players a good chance of hitting a few runs,” Rahul concluded. Match summary: RCB vs DCDelhi Capitals registered a thrilling six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with KL Rahul leading the charge in a tough chase of 176. DC rattled early at 18/3 inside three overs, thanks to a brilliant spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, Rahul stabilized the innings with 57 off 34 balls, steadying the chase under pressure.He found strong support from Tristan Stubbs, who scored an unbeaten 60, while David Miller provided the finishing touch with a quickfire 22*, including two crucial sixes in the final over to seal the match.
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What aspect of the match impressed you the most?
Earlier, RCB posted 175/8 after a strong start from Phil Salt (63) and Virat Kohli (19). But the Delhi spinning companies, led by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, brought down the middle order, holding the overall GDP below par. Despite the late scare, DC chased down the goal with the remaining ball, ending RCB’s five-game winning streak at home and breaching their fortress in a high-pressure encounter.
