Bengaluru, April 18 (NationPress) David Miller smashed two gigantic sixes in a thrilling last-over chase as Delhi Capitals ended their two-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a nail-biting six-wicket triumph over the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Earlier, RCB's bold approach resulted in a total of 175/8, with their middle order faltering against DC’s exceptional death-over bowling display. In pursuit of 176 on a pitch that became increasingly slow, DC successfully reached the target with one ball remaining, overcoming the memories of their narrow one-run defeat to the Gujarat Titans.

On his birthday, KL Rahul (57) and Tristan Stubbs (60 not out) set a solid base, but it was Miller who sealed the deal by hitting Romario Shepherd for two sixes and a four in the 20th over when 15 runs were required. This victory also marked RCB's first home loss of the season, ending their two-match winning streak.

The chase started poorly for DC as Bhuvneshwar Kumar executed a brilliant powerplay, dismissing Pathum Nissanka lbw in the first over and later taking out Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi with outswingers. Reduced to 18/3, DC seemed in trouble until local hero Rahul took control.

Rahul, who has an impressive average of 69.9 against RCB, hit Josh Hazlewood for 14 runs in the fifth over, including a memorable six over mid-wicket and a four ramped over the keeper. Together with Stubbs, Rahul constructed a recovery with a 76-run partnership and reached his fifty off just 30 balls.

However, he was dismissed shortly after by hitting a catch to long-off against Krunal Pandya, leaving DC facing a critical situation. Stubbs stepped up after Rahul's exit, striking Rasikh Salam Dar and Suyash Sharma for two fours each. Captain Axar Patel contributed a crucial 26 runs to keep the required run rate manageable, but he was forced to retire hurt due to severe cramps.

His departure initiated a remarkable squeeze from the RCB bowlers, as Krunal, Bhuvneshwar, and Hazlewood limited DC to just 13 runs during overs 15, 16, and 17, leaving them needing 37 runs from the final 18 balls. Stubbs kept the momentum going, reaching his fifty off 41 balls, but the equation tightened to 15 runs needed off the last over after he struck boundaries against Bhuvneshwar and Rasikh.

Patidar handed the ball to Romario Shepherd for his first over of the match. After a single and a leg-bye, Miller blasted a low full-toss into the mid-wicket stands for six. He followed with a magnificent lofted shot over extra-cover for another six, before sealing the victory with a flick to the deep mid-wicket fence, bringing home the winning four and securing a tense win for DC.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 175/8 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 63, Tim David 26; Axar Patel 2-18, Kuldeep Yadav 2-32) lost to Delhi Capitals 179/4 in 19.5 overs (Tristan Stubbs 60 not out, KL Rahul 57; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-26, Krunal Pandya 1-24) by six wickets.