Krunal Pandya chipped in with an all-round show and Virat Kohli hit a solid fifty as RCB clinched a six-wicket win in Delhi on Sunday, April 27. It was RCB’s sixth straight win away from home this season — a new record in the tournament. Royal Challengers Bengaluru recovered from an abysmal PowerPlay in the chase of 163 to record their sixth away victory in as many fixtures, in Delhi.
Krunal Pandya (73* off 47) and Virat Kohli (51 off 47) added a game-turning 119-run stand for the fourth wicket to set up a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals that carries RCB to the top of the table. Krunal Pandya was the star of the evening for RCB, smashing an unbeaten 73 off just 47 balls after delivering a miserly spell of left-arm spin. It was Krunal Pandya’s first fifty-plus score in the IPL since his debut season in 2016. Virat Kohli also continued his fine form in run-chases, scoring 51 off 47 balls – his fourth fifty-plus score in IPL 2025 while chasing.
RCB became the first team in IPL history to win six consecutive away matches. The former finalists jumped to the top of the IPL 2025 points table with seven wins from 10 games
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : It is 66mtrs to end of the boundary and 58mtrs to another end. Down the ground it is 71mtrs. When you come to Delhi, sometimes you get a high scoring belter. But today it is a very very dry surface. Not a lot of live grass on the deck. There was 4.1 degrees of turn in the game versus Mumbai. Not much help for the pacers. reckons Graeme Swann and Aaron Finch at the pitch report.
Toss : Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl with Jacob Bethell making his debut for Phil Salt who is ill in the Playing XI. Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel batting first bought in Faf Du Plessis in the Playing XI.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and spinners effective bowling restricts DC to 162 for 8 in 20 overs
Faf du Plessis returned to the top and made a circumspect start, but Abhishek Porel began the innings with a four off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The left-hander then carted the pacer for two sixes in the third over to set the tone on a surface where stroke-making wasn’t straightforward. Josh Hazlewood put a halt to that with a length ball that climbed on the left-hander, who tried to pull it away and edged to the ‘keeper behind.
Abhishek Porel struck the ball sweetly at the start of DC’s innings to score 28 off 11 balls, and Tristan Stubbs made an innovative 34 off 18 at the finish, but DC’s other batters struggled, scoring just 96 off 92 balls between them. Faf du Plessis, returning from a groin injury and playing his first game since April 10, and KL Rahul struggled for fluency in particular, scoring 22 off 26 and 41 off 39 respectively.
Karun Nair fell after he miscued a big hit against Yash Dayal in the fifth over. Hazlewood bowled another tight over in the PowerPlay, taking his tally of dots in the phase to 100 in the season – the most. The Aussie continued to be frugal in this phase of the game, his economy rate of 7.22 only bettered by RR’s Sandeep Sharma. In the process, he also claimed the purple cap.
RCB went into the middle overs with two batters who started out slowly – Du Plessis and Rahul – and then got further tied down by spin from both ends. Suyash Sharma with an over of five singles, and then Krunal Pandya gave away just six runs, while expertly varying his lengths and pace to discourage the batters from taking him on. When Du Plessis eventually decided to shrug the lethargy and go big, he found Virat Kohli at long on to fall for a 26-ball 22.
Axar Patel arrived at No.5 with the intention of being the spin basher but Rajat Patidar quickly changed his bowlers around. Krunal Pandya did well to surprise the DC captain with his sneaky variation of a quick bouncer – delivered at over 119kmph. Axar also found that swinging through the line wasn’t effective on the night, and eventually had his middle-stump floored by Hazlewood, who came back in the 14th over to dent the hosts further. Suyash finished with 0 for 22 while Krunal conceded 28 in his four overs.
The surface was partly responsible for this, with the ball gripping and occasionally staying low too, and RCB’s bowling played its part too, with Suyash and Krunal especially suffocating through the middle overs, bowling at high pace into the pitch and keeping width to a minimum. And DC suffered two crucial jolts.
First, just when Axar Patel was beginning to look dangerous, having slogged Krunal Pandya for a six in the previous over, Hazlewood came back and bowled DC’s captain in the 14th. This took some pressure off Suyash and Krunal Pandya – who may not have relished bowling to the left-handed Axar – and they finished their quotas by conceding a combined 13 runs across the 15th and 16th overs, against Rahul and a new-to-the-crease Stubbs.
Then, when Bhuvneshwar dismissed Rahul in the 17th, DC sent in Ashutosh Sharma as their Impact Player. They had named a bowler-heavy XI despite batting first, with the hope that they could bring in the extra bowler if their top order enjoyed a good day. As it happened, they were forced to bring in a batter, and he was out third ball, bowled by a leg cutter from Bhuvneshwar.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended Rahul’s miserable stay in the middle with a full ball that the batter hit to Jacob Bethell at long-off to depart for a 39-ball 41. At 118 for 5 in the 17th over, DC turned to Ashutosh Sharma, their impact substitute. In the same over however, Bhuvneshwar befuddled Ashutosh with a slower one that cleaned the latter up. Tristan Stubbs and Vipraj Nigam then made up for that double-wicket over by taking down Hazlewood and Yash Dayal for 36 runs in two overs.
Stubbs and Vipraj Nigam then provided the spark that DC had sorely lacked up to then, using the V behind the wicket smartly to collect a combined 36 runs across the 18th and 19th overs. Bhuvneshwar, though, cut short the fireworks with a superb 20th over, dismissing Stubbs and only conceding six runs (one of them off a leg-bye) despite bowling with an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle with RCB having run into an over-rate penalty.
Nigam upper cut the Aussie for a six over third man while Stubbs played two incredible strokes against Dayal – first an immaculately timed straight drive for a four and then a premeditated reverse ramp for a six off a low full toss. Bhuvneshwar stopped Stubbs in his tracks, conceding just eight runs for three wickets in two overs at the death. DC finished with 162 for 8.
Krunal Pandya’s all round heroics And Virat Kohli Lead RCB to Historic Win over DC
Virat Kohli and his new opening partner Jacob Bethell went after Mitchell Starc in the second over to fly off the blocks in a 15-run over. Axar Patel however, pegged RCB down a few notches with a double-wicket over.
As far as match-ups go, this was a big loss for RCB as two left-handers fell to Axar’s left-arm spin – first Bethell found Karun Nair at deep backward square leg and then Devdutt Padikkal played one onto his stumps. Rajat Patidar, RCB’s best spin hitter departed in the fifth over when a yes-no call with Kohli led to his run out, powered by Nair’s direct hit. Krunal Pandya joined Kohli as they dragged RCB to a lowly PowerPlay score.
Replacing Phil Salt, who was out with fever, Jacob Bethell played a short and exciting innings on IPL debut. He flicked Mitchell Starc for a six and a four off successive balls in the second over, before being done in by the slowness of the pitch, miscuing a pull off Axar to deep midwicket in the third over. Despite the presence of the left-handed Bethell, Axar had bowled the first and the third overs. He ended up dismissing not one but two left-handers, with Devdutt Padikkal, RCB’s Impact Player, chopping on while attempting a cut two balls later.
Karun Nair had taken an excellent catch in the deep to send Bethell back, and he was soon in play once again when Kohli clipped one in his direction at midwicket and seemed to take off for a single before coming to an abrupt stop. Rajat Patidar hared out of his crease at the other end, and it was too late by the time he turned back and dived, with Nair’s direct hit finding him well short.
The first part of RCB’s recovery wasn’t pretty. The pitch was still a tricky one for run-scoring, and one moment summed it up perfectly. A short ball from Nigam seemed ripe for pulling, but it lost so much pace off the pitch that it was on its way down by the time Kohli met it with his inside edge. For all their lack of fluency, though, Kohli and Krunal were ensuring RCB had wickets at the back end, and at the halfway mark they needed 99 off 60 balls.
Vipraj Nigam conceded 12 in the seventh over but beyond that, Krunal Pandya and Kohli just couldn’t find a higher gear until the halfway stage. Between two good Kuldeep Yadav overs came one from Dushmantha Chameera, where Krunal Pandya hit a six and yet only nine runs were collected.
It was Krunal Pandya who switched gears, and he did it dramatically, whipping Dushmantha Chameera for a leg-side six in the 11th over and clearing the boundary twice off Mukesh Kumar in the 13th: the last of these hits, a length ball launched over long-off with a full extension of the arms, showed just how much Krunal Pandya had got to grips with the conditions. And in the next over he showed he could do it against spin too, going over extra-cover off Kuldeep Yadav when he floated one into his arc.
Kuldeep bowled three exceptional overs for just 16 runs as the asking rate continued to climb. The inflection point of the chase came in the 13th over, where Krunal Pandya smashed an erring Mukesh for two sixes to ease the equation a touch. Krunal Pandya connected with a big swing off a tossed up ball from Kuldeep in the next over to clear the extra cover fence, and then played an excellent sweep against Axar in the 15th for a four to bring up his 38-ball half-century.
DC’s last chance to get back in the game came in the 16th over, when Starc forced Krunal Pandya to miscue a pull with a sharp short ball angled across the left-hander from left-arm around. Running in from deep midwicket, Porel put down a sitter. Before this ball, RCB needed 40 off 25 balls.
RCB went into the death overs needing 49 off 30 but Kohli brought that down to 38 off 24 with a four off Starc. Krunal Pandya then used Mukesh as the crutch once more, collecting successive boundaries, while Kohli got to his sixth half-century off the season.
By the time Chameera broke the partnership with a slower leg cutter to Kohli in the 18th, DC were almost out of it. David then hurried RCB over the line, going 6, 4 (plus no-ball), 4, 4 as Mukesh’s attempted yorkers in the 19th over ended up as a succession of full-tosses and half-volleys.
Chameera tried to cause a final twist in the proceedings by getting Kohli caught at deep extra cover off a slower one, but Tim David walked out to emphatically deny any change in course. Axar opted to give Mukesh the penultimate over with 17 to defend, in the hope that Starc could conjure another final-over magic. David however, didn’t let it get there as he went 6 4 4 4 to take his team home.
In the middle. DC just couldn’t get going against the RCB spin pair of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. RCB’s pair of Krunal and Kohli also struggled at the start of this phase but found a way out and eventually turned the tables on one of the better bowling units of this season, in this very passage of play.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Axar Patel the losing DC skipper said : I feel that we were 10-15 runs short. I thought in the first innings, the wicket was a bit tough but due to dew, it eased out in the second innings. We missed a few catches, we need to take those catches. Intent was the same but the wicket was two-paced but after dew came in it became easier, we don’t think we could have done anything different.
We kept losing wickets. If a batter would have spent some time in the middle, then he could have accelerated, we could have got 10-15 runs extra. (On him batting one position down the order tonight) KL has been batting so well so I wanted him at No. 4. One side of the ground was shorter as well so we sent him at No. 4.
Rajat Patidar the winning RCB skipper said : It was a total team performance. The way the bowlers executed their plans, was nice to see. As I said earlier, we are not a team who are looking at the venues. We are looking to play good cricket. Chasing gives a lot of clarity about the wicket, the bowling and the score and we could plan accordingly.
It was a gettable target. The bowlers did a great job. All credit to all the bowlers. We were pretty much clear about the chasing. It feels great when you lead RCB. There are many great players. It is a great opportunity for me to learn.
Krunal Pandya Player of the Match for his all round show said : Â It is always good to see the results. Sometimes when you have put the hard work behind the scenes and feels good when it comes off. It is quite satisfying. My role was clear. If we lose three early wickets, I can go in Make sure we stitch a partnership. We have such great power hitters – David, Jitesh and Shepherd. We can take down the bowling. Glad that I fulfilled my role.
When Virat is at the other end, it is quite easy. First 20 balls, It was scratchy for me. But he kept backing me. Then I got my mojo back. So, a lot of credit to Virat. I have always been an economical bowler. As a bowler, I have always wanted to be one step ahead. I have worked on my bowling. So, if you see the variations in speed.
Knowing the batsmen’s strength, I am trying to use it to my advantage. Glad it is going in my favour. Over a period of time, batsmanship is getting better. As a bowler, I have realized we need to be one step ahead. Bowling a bouncer and a wide yorker, I have been practicing. I have bowled before as well. I want the batters to keep guessing what I have in my armoury.
A sensational all-round display from Krunal Pandya led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the IPL 2025 table as they outbowled and out batted Delhi Capitals in a tense clash on a tricky, two-paced surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
A strong display with the ball set things up, as RCB sent DC in and restricted them to 162 for 8, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood picking up five wickets between them, and Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya strangling with spin through the middle overs. The chase was never going to be straightforward, though, given the conditions and DC’s attack, and RCB duly slipped to 26 for 3 after four overs.
Krunal Pandya, though, hauled RCB out of the mire and put them in front, over the course of a 119-run fourth-wicket stand with Virat Kohli, who made his sixth half-century of the season, and his fourth in a chase.
The recovery came in two phases. By the 10-over mark, Kohli and Krunal Pandya had put on 40 in 36 balls, and neither batter was looking fluent. But Krunal Pandya found his hitting range, and took off. Having been on 17 off 21 balls at one stage, he hit 56 off his last 26 balls. Kohli fell for 51 off 47 with RCB needing 18 off 13. There was no late twist, though, as Tim David finished with a flurry of boundaries, sealing victory with nine balls remaining.
RCB have won the reverse fixture. One blow each for both teams now. Kohli was really animated in the dug out as he is the local boy. They had lost to DC at home and now RCB have returned the favour. Rahul had seen them home then. Today it was about Kohli and Krunal Pandya. They were three down for nothing. But Kohli kept Krunal Pandya calm at the other end, they struggled for timing and momentum but hung in there. In the end, Krunal Pandya got his mojo and Kohli played anchor to take RCB to their 7th win.
David came in and finished it earlier than expected. It seemed the game will go down to the wire but a few chances and few poor decisions by Axar the skipper meant the game ended in the 19th over. In hindsight, DC despite being presented with a tricky wicket should have added few more runs. The dew coming in also didn’t help the case for the DC unit while defending it.
But in the end it was the class of the men in red which saw them through. They planned the chase meticulously with the chase master guiding them through the ebbs and flows of the game. They are looking like one of the teams to beat. With 7 wins, it should mean one more win and they will be knocking on the door of the play-offs.
The orange cap sits pretty on top of Virat’s head. The purple one has been snatched from the rest of the pack by Hazlewood. So, it is logical that RCB are top of the table. They have 7 wins from 10 games so far. And look primed to finish in the top two if they continue playing like this. Porel got off to a flier.
But RCB came back with timely wickets along with the spin choke in the middle overs. Their spinners might not have picked a lot of wickets but they hampered the flow of the game and barely gave away anything. Stubbs added some meat and DC ended with 162. RCB lost a few wickets but that 119-run partnership between Kohli and Krunal Pandya took it away from DC. DC will look to shrug this off as an aberration. RCB have a five-day break before hosting CSK at home on May 3. DC meanwhile have just a day’s gap before hosting KKR on April 29.
Also Read:Â DC vs RCB: Records Broken After RCB’s Outrageous Win Over DC