Delhi Capitals continued their unbeaten streak in the ongoing IPL with a stunning six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Opting to bowl first, DC restricted RCB to 163/7 in 20 overs despite a strong start from Phil Salt (37 off 17 balls). Later in the chase, DC got a horrible start as they kept on losing wickets but KL Rahul's magnificent knock of 93* off 53 balls took them home in just 17.5 overs.
It was a memorable night for the Bengaluru boy Rahul, who snatched away the game from the hands of his old team and helped DC claim their fourth win on the trot. DC needed 18 runs off 18 balls to win, when Rahul hammered two sixes and a boundary and finished the proceedings in style.
After hitting the winning six, Rahul showed his aggressive side and thumped his chest. This gesture was done to show his authority and familiarity with the M Chinnaswamy Ground in Bengaluru.
"Was a slightly tricky wicket. What helped me was being behind the stumps for 20 overs, just watching how it played. From wicketkeeping I figured that the ball sat in the wicket a little bit but it was consistent throughout - it wasn't two-paced, it was one paced throughout. I knew what my shots are," said Rahul after the victory.
"Just wanted to get off to a good start, be aggressive initially and assess it from there. If I was trying to hit a big six, I knew what pockets to target. Wicketkeeping gave me a feeler for how the other batters played and where were they dismissed. Got lucky with the dropped catch. This is my ground, this is my home. I know this better than anybody else. Enjoyed playing here," he added.
Chasing a modest 164, Delhi Capitals stuttered at the start but Rahul's composed knock from 53 balls with six sixes and seven fours did the job for his side.
Tristan Stubbs also played a crucial role with his 38 not out from 23 balls. Veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a tight spell of 4-0-26-2 for RCB but they just did not have enough runs on the board.
Earlier, Tim David's late 20-ball 37 not out and Phil Salt's fireworks (37 off 17 balls) had lifted a struggling RCB to 163 for seven in their 20 overs.
(With ANI Inputs)