Right in the center - 64 meters square on either side while the straight hit is 73 meters long. A bit of weather around but it was just a passing drizzle. This pitch looks a beauty - there are a few patches of grass but it's really dry. Lot of heavy roll on this wicket. 200+ was scored on this wicket last year.
Experts are creating their teams, watch this space
Expert Team 1
V Kohli
K Rahul
Expert Team 2
P Salt
A Patel
Venue Details
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Right in the center - 64 meters square on either side while the straight hit is 73 meters long. A bit of weather around but it was just a passing drizzle. This pitch looks a beauty - there are a few patches of grass but it's really dry. Lot of heavy roll on this wicket. 200+ was scored on this wicket last year.
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So that will be all from this contest. It was largely engrossing before the Capitals made easy work of the target eventually. But tomorrow promises to be interesting - not least because MS Dhoni will be back as captain of the Chennai Super Kings when they host the Kolkata Knight Riders. Can Thala's return to the helm spark a revival in fortunes for CSK? Do join us at 6.30 PM IST to find out with the first ball to be bowled an hour later. For now, this is the duo of Darpan Tikiya and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for tuning in today as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you tomorrow - good night and take care!
The way Rahul thumped his bat into the turf after that winning shot told a story. He was motivated as ever to make a statement today and he sure did. It reflected in his words in the presentation as well and he has got the Capitals home yet again. What an addition he has proved to be and what a run the Capitals are having - eight points now from four outings and they remain unbeaten. As for RCB, back to the drawing board but they will have to try and find a way to adapt faster here at home. They've lost two here at the Chinnaswamy and the pitch sure doesn't look a typical Chinnaswamy deck. They fly across to Jaipur now though to play the Rajasthan Royals over the weekend while the Capitals fly home to New Delhi to host the Mumbai Indians.
KL Rahul is the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 93. Here's what he has to say: It was a slightly tricky wicket but what helped me was being behind the stumps and watching how the wicket played. From wicket-keeping I figured that the ball sat in the wicket a bit but it was consistent throughout. It wasn't two-paced, it was one-paced. I wanted to get off to a good start and then assess. It depends on the conditions, the ground and dimensions but on a wicket like this, I knew what pockets to target. Wicket-keeping gave me a feel of how the other batters played, where they were dismissed and where they hit sixes. I got a bit lucky with the dropped catch but this is my ground, this is my home - I know this ground better than anybody else. Something I've always done with the preparation is whenever I practice, whatever wicket it is I try to adapt to that wicket. Even in practice I try and put myself under pressure. I experiment in practice and get out a couple of times but I assess what pockets I can target. It's not just that I go there and get out slogging and slogging - I do that as well at times.
Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals captain): We won three in three so yeah now I did think we can win four in four (laughs). The team has played really well. It obviously feels nice to win four in four. We talk of matchups and see what's happening in the wicket. They like pacers more so I thought let's not bowl more pace. The ball was stopping and bouncing so I thought hitting spin in the powerplay would be difficult. As we went on, the ball was turning more for the wrist-spinners. The 19th over went a bit too tactical (laughs) but it's okay, we've won so it's good. Kuldeep has played for many years and obviously he does it but to do it consistently in the IPL with all the pressure is great. I spoke to Vipraj - he was under a bit of pressure earlier but the way he bowled in the last match and now, he's improving day by day. When the captain shows faith, there's nothing better (grins). (On Rahul) My job becomes easier when the player can play in different positions. It's not easy to play the new ball as an opener and then come into the middle-over but having a player like that in the team is great. I played a bad shot and got out but he played a mature innings and finished it off with Stubbs. He's carrying his form over from the Champions Trophy.
Vipraj Nigam receives a sapling for bowling the most Dot Balls!
And he's back again - Rahul now accepts the award for scoring the Most Fours!
Rahul is back to receive the award for the Most Sixes!
KL Rahul wins the award for bagging the most Fantasy Points!
Phil Salt wins the Super Striker of the Match Award!
Time for the presentation!
Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals): "It was really satisfying. I came in at a really tricky situation. We did not let runrate slip out of our hands. I did not have to do much. KL Rahul was fantastic. There was a brief discussion about the rain, but there is so much extra time. We always knew that we will come out again. Last year when we played here, it was a similar chase. We were four down early. But we pulled it off today. (On his batting position) I think every position is so different. Here I will be batting majorly at the back end. You have to adjust quicker."
Rajat Patidar (RCB Captain): "I think it is the way we saw the wicket. It turned out to be different. We saw it as a good batting wicket. We did not bat well. We batters are in a good frame of mind. But we lacked in assessing the situation and condition. From 84/1 to 90/4 is not on. The way Tim David accelerated in the end was pretty good. The way the fast bowlers bowled in the powerplay was good too. We are not looking too much at the away record. But we will have to play good cricket."
11 PM IST: Match Summary: Delhi Capitals beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 6 wickets!
KL Rahul 93* (53) | Kuldeep Yadav 2/17 (4) Tim David 37* (20) | Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/26 (4)
Four matches, four wins! This Delhi Capitals outfit sure has a serious look about it and once again, they have rocked up in some style to keep the Royal Challengers Bengaluru winless at home even as it's only two matches we're talking about. A total of 163 on what was a tricky surface did not seem enough but the Capitals did make a hash of it - well, almost!
Faf du Plessis seemed to struggle owing to an injury he picked up on the field and he perished early. But the shot selection left plenty to be desired from DC as Jake Fraser-McGurk skied one up a mile before Jitesh Sharma pulled off an excellent catch. Jitesh was in action again as Abishek Porel departed in a bid to play a pick-up, only for the ball to stop in the pitch as Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up a second. At 30/3, DC were in disarray and it could have been worse with KL Rahul miscuing one earlier too only for Rajat Patidar to put down a tough one.
That would prove to be the defining moment in the chase as it turned out. Skipper Axar Patel combined forces with Rahul but the duo were kept quiet by the pacers and Suyash Sharma as the asking rate mounted. Axar broke free against Suyash but rode his luck a bit too much, holing out to long off as the Capitals were in real strife. Just when the asking rate was about to reach the 11-run mark though, Tristan Stubbs and Rahul managed a couple of big overs off Krunal Pandya and Liam Livingstone with Patidar surprisingly not bowling Suyash out with his rhythm right on cue.
At 99/4 in 14 overs, there was a light drizzle around. Rahul's game awareness stood out though, realizing that DC were behind the DLS par score. He duly tore into Josh Hazlewood for an array of boundaries with back foot shots off the highest quality as he raised a half-century. Not only did he propel the Capitals past the DLS par score but soon after, another huge over followed as Suyash was taken apart in his final over. The game was well and truly shut and it was a matter of time thereafter.
Stubbs played an excellent hand but it was Rahul who would have the final say on his home turf, unleashing his full repertoire of strokes including the reverse ramp and sealing the deal with a pick-up over fine leg for six. He let out a big roar and it told a story - this man's here to make a statement and with two consecutive match-winning performances, he sure has breathed plenty of impact into this DC side. Stick around for the presentation...
Take a bow, Kannaur Lokesh Rahul! It's the local lad who has silenced RCB at the Chinnaswamy! Look at him point to his jersey - as if to say he's the man and he sure is. From a precarious situation, he has won this quite easily for the Delhi Capitals.
17.5 Yash Dayal to KL Rahul, SIX TO FINISH! Bengaluru boy KL Rahul finishes with 93*. DC secure their fourth win in four matches. Dayal attempted the yorker but ended up bowling a juicy full toss down the leg side. Rahul brought out the wristy flick and the long leg boundary is too short to contain it.
That sums up RCB's struggles in the last few overs. A review for what it's worth but clearly over Rahul's head. The scores are level!
17.5 Yash Dayal to KL Rahul, OH DEAR! Dayal goes short but the ball bounces off the deck like a tennis ball off trampoline. Poor Jitesh leapt full length but could not even get a hand on it. RCB will review the wide call though, albeit in vain. It was definitely too high — confirms the TV umpire.
He's just toying with them now!
17.4 Yash Dayal to KL Rahul, FOUR MORE! Unimaginative from the bowler. Another ball outside, pace-off. Rahul brings out the reverse lap and gets it over short third.
Marco: "Pin drop silence in Chinnaswamy." And the noise levels would have dimmed further after that stunning six!