Delhi Capitals went down to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their ninth match of the Indian Premier League 2025 as they failed to defend 162 at Arun Jaitley on Sunday, April 27. The high-flying DC endured their second loss in the last three matches, which has seen them on the brink of the top four now.
DC were playing catch-up when the chase master Virat Kohli was carrying the run chase in his own style. They got a few wickets but the pair of Kohli and Krunal Pandya almost killed the game with a 119-run stand for the fourth wicket. However, even when Kohli was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera in the 18th over, there was a window ajar for the hosts to eke out a win.
With 17 to win from the final two overs, DC might have missed the trick of not bowling their best bowler Mitchell Starc and giving Mukesh Kumar an over with Tim David the new batter in. Former India cricketer Anil Kumble has highlighted that the penultimate over selection might have costed the game to the Capitals.
“I don’t know [what DC were thinking]. When you have 18-19 runs [the requirement was 17 from two overs] to defend in the last two overs, you give the 19th over to your best bowler, to take it till the end,” Kumble said on ESPNCricinfo.
“I was surprised that he gave the ball to Mukesh and not Starc. The result might have been the same, but the intent was wrong,” he added.
Meanwhile, former India batter and domestic cricket legend Wasim Jaffar questioned the team for not using leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam much. “I felt he [Axar] didn’t show enough trust in Vipraj,” Jaffer said. “Maybe he could have been given two-three overs too. Maybe it could have had an effect. Because at that stage [if a wicket had fallen], two overseas batters [David and Romario Shepherd] would have been there and they might have found it tough. Jitesh [Sharma] was the main batter left then,” he said.
RCB have now become the first team in the history of the Indian Premier League to win six consecutive matches away from home. The Bengaluru franchise is now at the top of the points table with 14 points in 10 matches. They have won seven of their 10 games they have played this season, with their losses coming only at home.
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