- Delhi Capitals restrict Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 175 runs.
- Phil Salt anchored RCB’s innings with a valuable 63.
- DC’s early batting falters but Stubbs and Miller secured victory.
RCB vs DC IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s winning-momentum has been halted by the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on IPL’s 18th anniversary. Axar Patel, the latter’s captain, won the toss and asked the home team to bat first, a decision which came really good. While there were early runs from the bats of Kohli and Salt, Delhi’s bowling unit struck regular blows, restricting Bengaluru to only a modest target, which interestingly, they would have to fight tooth and nail to chase down.
DC Bowling Attack Keeps RCB Quiet
RCB had a somewhat uneven first innings. DC struck regular blows, picking up wickets at consistent intervals to prevent the hosts from settling into a rhythm.
Virat Kohli got a start but couldn’t convert it, falling for 19. Phil Salt, however, looked in fine touch and anchored the innings with a solid 63 before being dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. Devdutt Padikkal showed promise during his stay but was sent back after scoring 18.
Skipper Rajat Patidar, who has been in impressive form this season, couldn’t make an impact this time, managing just 8 runs before departing.
In the closing stages, RCB attempted to shift gears but lost wickets in quick succession, which hampered their momentum. Tim David provided a brief burst of power with three boundaries and a six, scoring 26 before falling to Axar Patel. The lower order chipped in just enough to carry the total to 175 in their allotted 20 overs.
Overall, it was a well-executed bowling performance from Delhi Capitals, blending discipline with timely aggression. While RCB posted a competitive score, they may feel they missed an opportunity to push closer to a bigger total after failing to fully capitalize in the final overs.
Batting Woes Continue For Delhi
DC looked comfortable on paper chasing a target under 180, but an early wobble from their top order quickly shifted the pressure back onto them.
KL Rahul anchored the innings with a composed half-century, but he found little support early on. Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, and Impact Player Karun Nair all fell cheaply, each undone by the accuracy of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who struck at crucial moments to dent DC’s chase.
The innings was revived by Tristan Stubbs, who stitched together key partnerships, first with Rahul and later with Axar Patel, who eventually had to retire hurt. Stubbs kept DC in the contest with a well-crafted fifty, guiding the chase deep into the final overs, though the outcome still hung in the balance.
Heading into the last over, DC needed 15 runs with Stubbs at one end and David Miller on strike. Romario Shepherd began with two tight deliveries, but Miller swung the momentum dramatically, smashing back-to-back sixes followed by a boundary to seal a thrilling win.
The result lifted them to fourth place in the IPL 2026 standings, capping off a dramatic chase that ebbed and flowed till the very end.
