Delhi Capitals chased down 153 to complete a 6-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday at Abu Dhabi in the final IPL league match for both teams. With this win, DC moved to second spot on 16 points while RCB slid to third, but both the teams qualified for the playoffs.
The DC innings didn’t start of well with Prithvi Shaw going for 9 with the score on 19. Thereafter, Shikhar Dhawan and Rahane put together a 88-run partnership before the former was dismissed for 54.
DC skipper Shreyas Iyer didn’t last too long and was out for 7. Rahane at the other end scored 60 off 46 balls before he was dismissed by Washington Sundar for 60. Stoinis and Pant then completed the formalities taking the team home in the 19th over.
Earlier, young Devdutt Padikkal shone again with a half-century before DC roared back to restrict RCB to 152 for seven. Padikkal, who looked in good nick during his stay in the middle, smashed five fours in his 41-ball 50 and shared a 57-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli (29 off 24) for the third wicket.
DC pulled things back brilliantly in the middle overs. Pacer Anrich Nortje (3/33) was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi Capitals, while Kagiso Rabada (2/30) picked up two wickets and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/18) took the important wicket of Kohli.
Invited to bat, Padikkal and Josh Philippe (12) were circumspect in the powerplay overs. Rabada provided the Capitals with the early breakthrough off his very first ball, claiming the wicket of the Australian in the fifth over.
The powerplay overs yielded 41 runs, including five fours and a maximum, for the loss of one wicket. Kohli, who was dropped on 13 in the 10th over by Nortje, tried to up the ante in the 12th over by hitting Axar Patel for a six. The RCB skipper again looked to smash the ball over the fence in the next over but was caught at deep midwicket by Marcus Stoinis off an Ashwin delivery.
Nortje struck twice in the 16th over to get rid of Padikkal and South African all-rounder Chris Morris for a duck. AB de Villiers (35) was yet again in sublime touch and raised a 33-run stand with young Shivam Dube (17 off 11 balls), but the duo couldn't power RCB to a bigger total.
With PTI inputs