Krunal Pandya‘s outstanding all-around effort helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeat the Delhi Capitals (DC) in a fierce match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, propelling them to the top of the IPL 2025 points standings. After limiting DC to a respectable 162/8, RCB overcame early obstacles to reach the mark with nine balls remaining.
DCās Struggles Despite Early Flourish
On a challenging, two-paced pitch, RCB chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Abishek Porel, DC’s opening batter, hit the ball cleanly and quickly reached 28 off just 11 balls, while Tristan Stubbs finished with a brilliant 34 off 18 balls. The other hitters for DC, meanwhile, had trouble getting going and could only muster 96 runs off the last 92 balls.
KL Rahul, who scored 41 off 39 and Faf du Plessis, who returned from a groin injury, both battled for fluency. The ball occasionally gripped and stayed low, which was influenced by the surface. By keeping the ball moving quickly and reducing width, the RCB bowlersāKrunal and Suyash Sharma in particularābowled tight lines through the middle overs, choking the opposition.
Key Breakthroughs for RCB
The removal of important DC batsmen was a significant turning point for RCB. First, Josh Hazlewood hit to dismiss DC’s captain in the 14th over, just as Axar Patel was gathering steam and hammering Krunal for a six. This breakthrough eased the pressure on Suyash and Krunal, allowing them to finish their quotas with a combined 13 runs conceded in the 15th and 16th overs.
After Rahul was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the seventeenth over, DC was forced to use Ashutosh Sharma as their Impact Player. DC was in serious trouble when Sharma was removed for a duck off Bhuvneshwar’s legcutter as the top order collapsed.
Stubbs and Nigam Show Flicker of Hope
Stubbs and Vipraj Nigam’s tail-end collaboration gave DC the much-needed energy. They scored 36 runs in the 18th and 19th overs by deftly using the V behind the wicket. But any dreams of a late comeback were essentially dashed by Bhuvneshwar’s outstanding 20th over, in which he removed Stubbs and held DC to just six runs, including a leg-bye.
Krunal and Axar Lead the Way for RCB
In terms of bowling, Axar Patel made a big difference. Devdutt Padikkal, who was trying to cut a ball, was one of two left-handers he dismissed. Even with his outstanding spell, Axar was unable to keep RCB in check. Karun Nair was crucial in the field as well, dismissing Jacob Bethell with a superb catch.
After losing three early wickets and being at 26/3 after only four overs, RCB’s chase got off to a bad start. However, Krunal Pandya, who had previously played a crucial role with the ball, was essential to RCB’s comeback. With a vital 119-run stand for the fourth wicket, Krunal and Virat Kohli, who produced his sixth half-century of the season, restored the innings.
RCBās Recovery Phase
It took some time to recuperate. With 40 runs off 36 balls at the 10-over mark, Kohli and Krunal were both having trouble finding their rhythm on the difficult wicket. But Krunal’s change of direction signalled the game’s pivot. He burst, scoring 56 runs off his final 26 deliveries after being on only 17 from 21 balls.
With RCB still needing 18 off 13 deliveries, Kohli, who was leading the batting, was dismissed for 51 off 47 balls. The hunt did not, however, take a surprising turn. With nine balls remaining, Tim David grabbed control of the match and won with a barrage of boundaries.
Krunalās Big Shots Bring RCB Back Into the Game
In the eleventh over, Krunal began to pick up speed and smacked Dushmantha Chameera for a massive leg-side six. In the 13th over, he followed it up with two consecutive sixes off Mukesh Kumar, including one off a length ball that flew over long-off. As his confidence increased, he hit Kuldeep Yadav for a clever extra-cover drive over the boundary in the following over.
When Starc forced Krunal to mishit a pull shot in the 16th over, it was DC’s final genuine chance to rally. But DC’s hopes of grabbing a wicket in that over vanished when Abishek Porel lost a sitter while sprinting in from deep midwicket.
RCB Cross the Line with Davidās Flurry
In the 18th over, Chameera hit Kohli with a slower legcutter, ending Krunal and Kohli’s partnership. Tim David then took over when 40 was needed from 25 balls. In the 19th over, he hammered Mukesh Kumar for four boundaries, including a six, a four (with a no-ball), and two more fours, all from full-tosses and half-volleys. With nine balls left in the game, RCB triumphed easily thanks to David’s assault.
