Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajnkya Rahane [Photo-IPL]

Brilliant half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane ensured that Delhi Capitals not only break their four-match winning streak but also ensure that they finished second in the points table courtesy a six-wickey win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, who will now have to wait till the result of tomorrow’s game between Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad to ascertain whether they finish at the 3rd or 4th spot in the points table.

Chasing 153, the Delhi Capitals got off to a brisk start with Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw nailed four boundaries in the first two overs.

Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Mohammed Siraj [Photo-IPL]
Mohammed Siraj, who had been creamed fot a couple of fours by Prithvi Shaw, had the last laugh though as he knocked over the young opener with a perfect Test match delivery; one that pitched on middle before wickedly jagging away to knock over the top of off-stump.

But Shikhar Dhawan once again looked in imperious touch today. The southpaw creamed some cracking strokes- none better than the cover-drive against Chris Morris- and he, along with Ajinkya Rahane, who too nailed some sumptuous stroked, ensured that Delhi Capitals made optimum use of the powerplay, finishing at 1-53.

Virat Kohli brought his spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar in the attack but it did not have any effect on Dhawan and Rahane.

Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane [Photo-IPL]
Both the senior pros milked the spinners for singles and doubles besides dispatching a ball fot a boundary as DC raced to 1-81 after 10. Shikhar Dhawan soon completed 500+ runs in the season before he notched up yet another half-century (in 37 balls) with a boundary off Isuru Udana in the 12th over.

Ajinkya Rahane stroked a lofted cover-drive off Udana and followed it with a six off Shahbaz Ahmed to bring up Delhi Capitals 100 before the latter eventually dismissed Shikhar Dhawan in the same over after the southpaw scooped him straight to short fine-leg. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane completed his half-century in 37 deliveries to spearhead DC’s chase.

DC, RCB
Shahbaz Ahmed [Photo-IPL]
Shahbaz Ahmed chipped in with another crucial scalp in the form of Shreyas Iyer, who holed out to Siraj at the long-on boundary. Just 27 runs came in the next four overs and three deliveries post-Dhawan’ delivery as Royal Challengers Bangalore ensured that Capitals did not chase down the total before 17.3 overs. The Delhi Capitals, however, qualified in the playoffs as soon as they reached the score of 134.

But post-Dhawan’s dismissal, Delhi Capitals lost their way as they managed a mere 29 runs in the next five overs for the loss of Iyer as well as Ajinkya Rahane, who became Sundar’s first victim. But Marcus Stoinis and Rishabh Pant ensured that there were no more jitters in the end as they completed the run-chase in the 19th over.

 

 

An all-round bowling performance by Delhi Capitals consigned Royal Challengers Bangalore to 7-152

Batting first, the Royal Challengers Bangalore would have hoped for a good start by their opening duo of Josh Philippe and Devdutt Padikkal.

But Philippe never really looked in his elements and after having managed a 17-ball 12, he perished on the first delivery of Kagiso Rabada’s spell courtesy a mistimed lofted shot.

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Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Devdutt Padikkal [Photo-IPL]
Devdutt Padikkal continued to enthrall everyone with his sumptuous strokeplay even as Virat Kohli was initially circumspect as RCB racked up 40 runs in the powerplay.

Just 20 runs came in the next 4 overs. A big moment came in the game in the 10th over, when Virat Kohli, in a bid to up the scoring rate, tried to went downtown against Axar Patel, only for Anrich Nortje to shell the catch at long-on.

The dropped chance was the fillip that Virat needed as he smashed Kagiso Rabada and Axar Patek for a four and a six in the next two overs to bring up the 50-run-stand.

Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Marcus Stoinis [Photo-IPL]
But one shot proved to be too many for Virat as he holed out to Marcus Stoinis at deep midwicket in the very next over of Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed the Indian skipper for the very first time in IPL history.

With just 90 runs on the board after 14 overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore needed a bit of magic from AB de Villiers. Padikkal, meanwhile, stroked a boundary before taking a couple in the 15th over to not only bring up his 5th IPl fifty but also bring up the teams’ hundred.

Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Anrich Nortje [Photo-IPL]
Padikkal was eventually knocked over by Anrich Nortje in the very next over. The South African pacer dismissed Chris Morris in the same over to reduce RCB to 4-112.

Late assault from Shivam Dube (17 off 11) and AB de Villiers (35 off 21 balls)- even though they eventually got dismissed- ensured that RCB scored 35 runs in their last three overs to finish at 7-152.

 

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