At M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Delhi Capitals (DC) extended their winning streak in the IPL 2025 by defeating Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by a resounding six wickets in Match 24.
KL Rahul’s unbeaten 93 off 53 deliveries proved to be the game-winning stroke in a battle that was back and forth before DC reached the finish line with 13 balls left.
RCB was asked to bat first after DC captain Axar Patel correctly called the toss, and they got off to a fantastic start. Phil Salt looked unstoppable during the powerplay, scoring 37 runs off just 17 balls and scoring 30 runs in an over against Mitchell Starc. After reaching 53 in just 3 overs, the Bengaluru-based club sought to set a huge total.
Salt’s run-out due to a miscommunication with Virat Kohli caused a collapse. After falling behind at 61/0, RCB was struggling at 102/5 as spinners Kuldeep Yadav (2/17) and Vipraj Nigam (2/18) made sure to bowl at the right lengths. Rajat Patidar (25 off 23) and Kohli (22 off 14) failed to convert their starts, but Tim David’s late cameo (37* off 20) enabled RCB finish at 163/7.
Talking Points
1. Following the powerplay, RCB’s hitting collapse
In their IPL 2025 match against the Delhi Capitals, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had a significant batting collapse following a promising start. After the Powerplay, RCB was in a commanding 118/2 with Rajat Patidar and Virat Kohli at the crease. However, the addition of spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam brought about a big shift. Since Patidar’s exit, the RCB has been losing wickets at regular intervals, including well-set batsmen. The Delhi Capitals were able to chase down and win by six wickets after RCB’s collapse, which only allowed them to reach 163/7.
2. The RCB bowlers were unable to keep up the pace.
In Match 24 of the 2025 Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers were unable to sustain their momentum against the Delhi Capitals despite a good start with the ball. DC had fallen down early on, as Yash Dayal and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar applied pressure during the powerplay.
But as the innings went on, RCB’s bowlers became unsteady, their lengths and lines faltered, and the spinners were unable to stop the runs from coming in. The loose deliveries were exploited by KL Rahul and Jake Fraser-McGurk, who formed a strong partnership that totally changed the tide of the match. Delhi was able to easily chase down the goal with six wickets remaining since RCB was unable to maintain the pressure despite the early gains.
3. KL Rahul demonstrated that it is his territory.
KL Today, Rahul’s brilliant 93* off 53 balls against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was a T20 hitting masterclass. The Delhi Capitals won by six wickets thanks to the wicketkeeper-batter’s superb timing and placing. In addition to highlighting Rahul’s supremacy over RCB—he had earlier amassed an incredible 132* in the IPL 2020—this knock also demonstrated his steady skill against his old team. His performance today cemented his status as one of the top T20 hitters and left a lasting impression on both the game and the current season.
Who said What?
Rajat Patidar, RCB Captain
I think the way we saw the wicket, it was quite different, we thought it was a nice batting wicket, but we didn’t bat well. I don’t think so (if the batters were overconfident), every batter was in a good frame of mind, showing proper intent. But it wasn’t acceptable to go from 80 for 1 to 90 for 4, we have a good batting line-up, but we need to assess the situation. That has been positive, the way Tim David accelerated was amazing, the bowling in the powerplay was special. We aren’t thinking about our away record, but we just need to play good cricket and keep it simple.
Axar Patel, DC captain
The way the team is playing, everyone is confident and feels good to win four out of four. They like facing pacers, so I felt using spin early was a good option. The ball was stopping and there was some bounce as well, so I felt it was hard to hit spinners in the powerplay. The 19th over by me was perhaps a mistake tactically. But it’s okay since we have won.
The way they are bowling – Kuldeep has been doing it for years, but a special word for Vipraj. The way he bowled, even in the 18th over, he was confident. My job becomes easy with someone like Rahul in the order. I’ve also been used as a floater before, so I know it’s not easy. To have someone like him is great. He played a mature innings and is continuing the form from the Champions Trophy.
KL Rahul, Player of the Match
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. 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.