Dubai: Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (53 n o, 26b, 6×4, 2×6) cracked a blistering half century before bowlers did their job efficiently to help Delhi Capitals (DC) register a 59-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here, Monday.
Chasing a massive 197, RCB could muster only 137/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Kagiso Rabada (4/24) was the pick of the DC bowlers as the South African pacer dismantled the RCB middle order. He was ably supported by Axar Patel (2/18) and Anrich Nortje (2/22).
RCB faltered from the very beginning of the match as neither their bowlers nor batsmen could do much. Ravichandran Ashwin (1/26) dismissed the in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal (4) to inflict a collapse on the RCB side.
After then, RCB struggled to get going. They lost wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Virat Kohli (43, 39b, 2×4, 1×6) tried to keep his side in the game before Rabada ended his struggling in the 14th over.
Earlier, Prithvi Shaw (42, 23b, 5×4, 2×6) provided a blazing start to take DC to a competitive 196/4. Stoinis, who was dropped on 30 by Yuzvendra Chahal, made RCB pay for the mistake with a splendid knock.
Shaw, however, missed what would have been a well-deserved half century. Invited to bat, Shaw provided a dream start, hitting three fours off pacer Isuru Udana (1/40) in the game’s very first over.
The opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan (32, 28b, 3×4) and Shaw put up a 68-run stand and looked to go the distance before the RCB bowlers made a splendid comeback.
Mohammed Siraj (2/34) provided the first breakthrough for his team by removing the dangerous looking Shaw. After Udana accounted for Dhawan, while young Padikkal pulled off an excellent catch at the boundary to dismiss DC’s in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer (11).
Stoinis and Rishabh Pant (37, 25b, 3×4, 2×6) immediately got into the recovery act. The duo stitched an 89-run partnership. Shimron Hetmyer also played a short cameo, the Guyanese hitting a six in the last over.
Siraj was the most impressive bowler for RCB as he picked the key wickets off Shaw and Pant. After an expensive first over, Chahal pulled things back but couldn’t provide a breakthrough for his team.
Playing in place of Adam Zampa, Moeen Ali (1/21) and Udana claimed a wicket each, while Washington Sundar (0/20) was the most economical.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 196/4 (Marcus Stoinis 53 n o, Prithvi Shaw 42, Rishabh Pant 37; Mohammed Siraj 2/34) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 137/9 (Virat Kohli 43; Kagiso Rabada 4/24, Axar Patel 2/18, Anrich Nortje 2/22) by 59 runs.
