Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a remarkable chase to defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in the 24th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
After winning the toss and electing to field, the Capitals restricted a faltering RCB batting lineup before their own chase saw early hiccups, ultimately anchored by a magnificent unbeaten knock from KL Rahul.
RCB were off to a blistering start after Phil Salt and Virat Kohli opened the innings. Salt, in particular, was explosive, taking the attack to DC bowlers. Their onslaught saw RCB reach their second-fastest team fifty in IPL history, taking just three overs. Mitchell Starc bore the brunt of the early hitting, conceding 30 runs in his second over. However, the momentum shifted quickly when Salt was run out for a quickfire 37 off just 14 balls in the fourth over.
The middle overs saw RCB lose their way completely. Kohli fell to Vipraj Nigam for 22, and the wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals. Mohit Sharma accounted for Liam Livingstone (4), Kuldeep Yadav struck twice to dismiss Jitesh Sharma (3) and Rajat Patidar (25), leaving the RCB innings in disarray. Despite a late flourish from Tim David in the final two overs, RCB could only muster a fighting total, having scored a mere 66 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the 86 balls following their explosive start.
Delhi Capitals’ chase began shakily as they lost three wickets within the powerplay. Faf du Plessis was the first to go, dismissed by Yash Dayal for just two. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then struck twice in quick succession, removing Jake Fraser-McGurk (7) and Abhishek Porel (7), putting RCB in a strong position early on.
However, KL Rahul, playing at his domestic home ground but in the opposition colours, had other plans. He played a masterful innings, silencing the Bengaluru crowd with his composed and powerful hitting. RCB would rue a dropped chance early in Rahul’s innings, which proved to be a costly miss. He found an able partner in Tristan Stubbs. The duo forged an unbroken partnership of 111 runs for the fifth wicket, the highest ever for the fifth wicket or lower for Delhi Capitals in the IPL. Rahul remained unbeaten on a brilliant 93 off 53 balls, including seven fours and six sixes, while Stubbs contributed a crucial 38* off 23 balls to see their team home comfortably.
KL Rahul was deservedly adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-winning innings. This victory marks a historic moment for DC as they have now won their first four matches of an IPL season for the first time. For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, this is their second loss of the season after three wins, and it also marks their 45th defeat at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the most defeats for any team at a single venue in the IPL.
Scorecard:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 163/7, Overs 20, Phil Salt 37, Kuldeep Yadav 2/17
Delhi Capitals: 169-4, Overs 17.5, KL Rahul 93*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/26