How Did Pandya and Kohli Lead RCB to Victory Over DC?

New Delhi, April 27 (NationPress) Krunal Pandya and Virat Kohli triumphed over their earlier timing and momentum challenges, both achieving fifties to propel Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to the top of the points table after defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

RCB’s bowlers, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s impressive 3-33, Josh Hazlewood’s 2-36, alongside strong performances from Krunal and Suyash Sharma, limited DC to a modest score of 162/8 on a tricky pitch. RCB faced an early setback, collapsing to 26/3. However, Krunal turned the game around with a stellar 73 runs off 47 balls, featuring five fours and four sixes.

He received solid support from Kohli, who scored 51 off 47 balls, as the pair forged a vital 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Tim David capped off the successful chase with an unbeaten 21 off just five balls, ensuring RCB continued its unbeaten streak in away matches and run-chases this season.

Jacob Bethell initiated RCB’s innings with flair, hitting Mitchell Starc for a six and a four in quick succession during the second over. However, Bethell’s innings ended when he miscued a pull shot off Axar Patel, leading to his dismissal at deep mid-wicket. Axar struck again shortly after, dismissing impact player Devdutt Padikkal, and then Rajat Patidar fell to a direct hit from Nair, leaving RCB in a precarious position at 26/3.

Despite the pressure from DC’s power-play, Kohli and Pandya remained resilient but struggled to find rhythm initially. After the halfway mark, Kohli began to assert himself, pulling Kuldeep Yadav for a boundary. Pandya, who had earlier taken four runs off a no-ball by Vipraj Nigam, responded with a massive six off Dushmantha Chameera.

As Kohli focused on rotating the strike, Pandya regained his form, showcasing his power hitting with consecutive sixes off Mukesh Kumar before lofting Kuldeep over long-off. He reached his fifty off 38 balls, sweeping Axar for a boundary, before being dropped on 54 by Abishek Porel.

Kohli subsequently notched his sixth fifty of the season off 45 balls with a single, which also marked the century of his impactful partnership with Pandya. He then struck Mukesh Kumar for two consecutive fours. Although Kohli was dismissed after hitting a lofted shot to long-off against Chameera, David followed up with a six and a four, sealing a magnificent victory for RCB with nine balls remaining.

Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 162/8 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 41, Tristan Stubbs 34; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-33, Josh Hazlewood 2-36) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 165/4 in 18.3 overs (Krunal Pandya 73 not out, Virat Kohli 51; Axar Patel 2-19, Dushmantha Chameera 1-24) by six wickets