Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continued their dominant away form in IPL 2025, securing a six-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Krunal Pandya (73* off 47) and Virat Kohli (51 off 47) orchestrated a game-changing 119-run partnership to chase down 163, propelling RCB to the top of the table.
Key Takeaways
Match Breakdown: How RCB Turned the Tide
Delhi Capitals’ Innings: Spin Strangle & Stubbs’ Late Surge
- PowerPlay (52/2): Abishek Porel’s quickfire 24 (10 balls) was cut short by Josh Hazlewood, who claimed his 100th PowerPlay dot ball this season.
- Middle-Overs (56/2): DC crumbled against RCB’s spin duo Krunal Pandya (4-0-28-0) and Suyash Sharma (4-0-22-0), managing just 6.22 runs/over.
- Death Overs (54/4): Tristan Stubbs (34 off 18) and Vipraj Nigam (18* off 8) boosted DC with 36 runs in two overs, but Bhuvneshwar’s 3-33 limited the total.
RCB’s Chase: Kohli-Krunal Steal the Show
- PowerPlay Collapse (35/3): Axar Patel (2-19) dismissed openers Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal, while Rajat Patidar was run out.
- Middle-Overs Recovery (79/0): Kohli and Krunal rebuilt cautiously before hammering Mukesh Kumar for 20 runs in the 13th over.
- Death Blitz (51/1): Tim David (15* off 6) sealed the win with three consecutive fours off Mukesh, finishing with 14 balls to spare.
Player of the Match: Krunal Pandya
Krunal’s all-round brilliance earned him the accolade:
- Batting: 73* off 47 (6 fours, 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 155.32.
- Bowling: 4 overs, 28 runs, and relentless pressure on DC’s middle order.
Virat Kohli’s Milestone: The RCB stalwart notched his sixth fifty of IPL 2025, anchoring the chase with gritty resolve.
Stats Spotlight
- Josh Hazlewood: Tops Purple Cap race with 18 wickets; economy of 7.22 in PowerPlays.
- RCB’s Away Dominance: 6 wins in 6 matches, the best away record this season.
- DC’s Struggles: KL Rahul’s 41 (39 balls) epitomized their sluggish middle-overs batting.
What’s Next?
- RCB vs. CSK: May 3 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru).
- DC vs. KKR: April 29 in Delhi.
