IPL 2025: KL Rahul at ‘home’ bosses RCB at home to keep DC unbeaten | Cricket News
BENGALURU: After KL Rahul (93 not out; 53b; 7×4; 6×6) scored the winning runs for Delhi Capitals (DC) with a six, he sauntered to the adjoining pitch, drew a circle and thumped his bat on the ground. After all, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is his home turf, and Rahul simply owned the stage on Thursday night.
A flamboyant yet classic batter whose repertoire of strokes runs delightfully deep, Rahul in his backyard is a dangerous proposition, especially if he is dropped by the opposition even before he gets going, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) found out the hard way.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Rahul, dropped by Rajat Patidar on five, turned match winner in Capitals’ six-wicket victory in a tricky chase of 164, ensuring DC cantered home with 13 balls to spare. Rahul oozed class and composure as he soaked in the pressure of losing early wickets to stitch together a match-winning 111-run (55 balls) fourth-wicket partnership with Tristan Stubbs (38; 23b; 4×4; 1×6).
Poll
Should RCB reconsider their batting strategy after this match?
Defending a modest total, RCB’s bowlers were on the money in the first half of DC’s chase. The new-ball pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/26) and Yash Dayal had the crowd on their feet with their swing and testing lengths, sending back openers Faf du Plessis (2), Jake Fraser -McGurk (7) and Abhishek Porel inside the Powerplay.
At 58/4 in the ninth over, the visitors had their backs to the wall. Even as the cloudy Bengaluru skies threatened to open up, Rahul stepped on the accelerator in the 15th over, picking the seasoned Josh Hazlewood for a display of delectable drives and magnificent cover drives, as the over yielded 22 runs.
From there on, it was just a matter of formality as Rahul and Stubbs ensured a four-match winning streak for the Capitals.
SALT ASSAULT
There was an aura of invincibility around Phil Salt. The only person who could have stopped the explosive opener was the Englishman himself. All it took was a stumble on the turnaround and a communication lapse and the momentum tilted in DC’s favour.
RCB raced to 61 off 23 deliveries with Salt contributing 37 (17b; 4×4; 3×6). Just when it seemed like the combination of Salt and Virat Kohli (22) had set the tone for a run feast, Salt, after a failed bid for a cheeky single, stumbled and then scrambled to make his crease even as Rahul — that man again — hit the stumps.
Salt’s dismissal snuffed the impetus as the RCB batting line-up mostly made guest appearances at the crease, crumbling around the lack of pace from spinners and poor shot selection. It took an unbeaten 20-ball 37 from Tim David to take RCB to 163/7, with 36 runs coming off the last two overs.
Devdutt Padikkal’s stay at the crease was laboured and Mukesh Kumar ended it in quick time. The hosts ended the Powerplay with 64/2. The onus was on Kohli and skipper Rajat Patidar (25) to resuscitate the innings, but Capitals unleashed leggie Nigam to render the boisterous crowd speechless.
Kohli, looking to drive, failed to control his shot and Starc rushed in from long-off to complete a brilliant catch. Axar Patel’s blend of spin and pace attack choked the RCB batters and ensured wickets at regular intervals. Kuldeep Yadav (2/17) and Nigam, with their googlies and flighted deliveries, were impressive
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
