KL Rahul Commends Stubbs and Miller After DC's Thrilling Victory Over RCB
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Bengaluru, April 18 (NationPress) Acting captain of the Delhi Capitals, KL Rahul, praised the finishing abilities of Tristan Stubbs and David Miller, highlighting the team's composure during a nail-biting last-over finish, which secured a six-wicket victory against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
In pursuit of 176 runs on a pitch that became increasingly challenging, DC achieved their target with just a ball remaining, overcoming the memory of a prior one-run loss to the Gujarat Titans. While birthday celebrant Rahul (57) and Stubbs (60 not out) set the stage, it was Miller who delivered the final blow by hitting two sixes and a four off Romario Shepherd in the 20th over when 15 runs were still needed.
“There was certainly faith in Stubbs and Miller. They frequently perform under pressure for South Africa and in franchise leagues. We understood that RCB's last two overs would also be a gamble,” stated Rahul.
“We anticipated either Romario Shepherd or Suyash Sharma would bowl, offering our batsmen a solid chance to score the necessary runs in the final overs. Ideally, we wouldn't have wanted to rely on the last over, but we’re pleased with the win,” remarked Rahul, who took over for Axar Patel, who exited due to cramps, during the post-match presentation.
Earlier in their innings, DC encountered difficulties after losing three wickets in the Power-play. Rahul elaborated that his approach was to remain aggressive rather than slip into a defensive mode, which could have made the run chase increasingly difficult.
“The pitch had some early movement. I noticed Virat and Phil Salt were not pleased with how the ball was behaving. Losing three wickets in the first six overs was certainly challenging. Overall, it was a thrilling cricket match,” he noted.
“We encouraged each other to continue playing positive cricket, seeking boundaries and maintaining pressure on the bowlers. We didn't want to retreat into caution, as that would only escalate the required run rate, making it more difficult as the game progressed,” added Rahul.
DC currently sits in fourth place on the points table with six points from five matches. After snapping a two-match losing streak, they will aim to build on this momentum when they face the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 21.