In an edge-of-the-seat match no. 26 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a spectacular six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
While bowling first, DC’s spin twins were the driving force behind the comeback. Axar Patel was the outstanding bowler, ending with 2/18 from three overs with an economy rate of 6.00, effectively “choking” the RCB batters as they attempted to accelerate. Kuldeep Yadav, who took 2/32, provided him with strong assistance. Despite Salt’s early onslaught, the DC bowlers united to restrict RCB to 51 runs in the final five overs, keeping the target within reach.
On the batting front, DC made an impressive comeback from their early collapse. Tristan Stubbs (60) led the chase with a calm fifty, while birthday boy KL Rahul was the aggressor with 57 off 34 balls and a strike rate of 167.65. The duo’s steadiness enabled “Killer Miller” to come with the platform prepared for a theft. David Miller hit 22 off just 10 balls*, striking at 220.00, to secure the 6-wicket win. The statistical highlight of DC’s chase was their effectiveness in the final overs, when they scored 65 runs without losing a wicket and crossed the line with one ball remaining.
The tale of RCB’s innings was divided into two parts. With 52 runs in little over 5 overs, openers Phil Salt (63) and Virat Kohli (19) gave an incredible start. With a fifty off 38 balls, which included four fours and three sixes, Salt was the outstanding player and appeared to set the stage for a score of more than 200. But the momentum stopped when Kohli and Salt were removed. DC’s methodical spin onslaught was difficult for the middle order to withstand. Although Tim David‘s (26) cameo helped raise the score to 175/8, they fell short by perhaps 15–20 runs due to a lacklustre end on a historically high-scoring pitch.
Defending 175, the RCB bowlers appeared to have the game under control as Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a spectacular opening spell. He concluded with outstanding statistics of 3/26 and an economy of 6.50, leaving DC reeling at 18/3. Krunal Pandya also performed an important supporting role, keeping things tight with 1/24 in his four overs. However, the death bowling buckled under pressure; Romario Shepherd had a disastrous night, allowing 17 runs in only 0.5 overs over the last stretch as RCB failed to defend 15 runs in the last over.
With this win, DC are now back to winning ways and have six points from five games.
Scorecard:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 175/8, Overs 20, Phil Salt 63, Axar Patel 2/18
Delhi Capitals: 179/4, Overs 19.5, Tristan Stubbs 60, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/26
