Delhi Capitals (DC) sealed a place in the Qualifier 1 as they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets in Match 55 of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
RCB, despite the defeat and because of their NRR, made it to the playoffs and joined DC and Mumbai Indians in the top four.
RCB, who were also eying a place in the playoffs, had to make sure that DC did not chase down the target in 17.3 overs and their bowlers did the job, denying DC a chance to cross the finish line before the 17.3-over mark.
Needing 153 runs to win, DC lost Prithvi Shaw for nine runs in the second over as Mohammed Siraj disturbed the timber.
Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane though denied RCB any immediate success as the two scored at a brisk pace to take DC past fifty at the end of the powerplay.
The pair did not take any undue risks but made sure to keep the scorecard ticking as their side reached 81/1 at the halfway stage of the chase.
A couple of overs later, Dhawan, who was coming into this game on the back of a few scores following four successive fifty-plus knocks, including two tons, completed his fifty. However, the left-hander got out in the 13th over off Shahbaz Ahmed’s bowling.
Rahane though continued his good work and completed his 28th IPL fifty as DC moved past 120 after 15 overs.
While DC lost Shreyas Iyer and Rahane in the 17th and 18th overs respectively, Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis made sure that DC registered a win and with it, a place in the top two.
Earlier, DC, who elected to bowl, made three changes to their team as Ajinkya Rahane, Axar Patel and Daniel Sams replaced Harshal Patel, Pravin Dube and Shimron Hetmyer. Meanwhile, RCB brought back Shivam Dube.
DC bowlers kept things tight as RCB openers – Josh Phillipe and Devdutt Padikkal – could only score 25 from the first four overs. The pressure applied by DC helped them get their first wicket as Phillipe got in the fifth over as Kagiso Rabada struck with his first ball of the night.
Virat Kohli announced his arrival in the middle with a gorgeous cover drive in the sixth over before RCB moved past fifty in the eighth over. The RCB skipper then got a life in the 10th over after Anrich Nortje could not complete the catch.
Kohli then creamed a four and a six as he and Padikkal completed a fifty-run stand in the 12th over.
However, just when it looked like Kohli was looking to shift gear, he got out after Marcus Stoinis completed a fine catch off R Ashwin’s bowling.
Padikkal brought up his fourth half-century of the season and RCB brought up their 100 in the 15th over.
RCB then lost Padikkal and Chris Morris in the next over as Anrich Nortje struck twice in the space of three deliveries.
RCB needed a few big hits to get a move on and Shivam Dube and AB de Villiers scored 28 from the next 10 balls as RCB moved past 140. But DC denied RCB a big finish as Rabada dismissed Dube with the final ball of the penultimate over. In the final over, ABD, going for a second run to keep the strike, was run out as DC limited RCB to 152/7.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 154/4 (Ajinkya Rahane 60, Shikhar Dhawan 54; Shahbaz Ahmed 2/26) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 152/7 (Devdutt Padikkal 50 AB de Villiers 35; Anrich Nortje 3/33) by six wickets
