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K L Rahul's impeccable 93 not out off 53 deliveries propelled Delhi Capitals to an emphatic six wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Bengaluru, on Thursday, April 10 2025.
Put in to bat first, RCB were off to a decent start, scoring 60 without loss in 3.4 overs. But afterwards they lost wickets at regular intervals and finished on a modest 163 for 7.
On the other hand, DC were off to a terrible start, losing 4 wickets for 66 runs in 10 overs.
It was then K L Rahul and Tristan Stubbs steadied the innings and stitched together a brisk 111-run fifth-wicket partnership off 55 balls to steer them home with 13 balls to spare.
For RCB, Phil Salt (37 off 17 balls) and Tim David (37 unbeaten off 20 balls) did the bulk of the scoring.
There aren't many better sights in world cricket than watching K L Rahul in full flow.
On Thursday, he delivered a masterclass under pressure, playing a pivotal role in DC's win.
His stroke play was nothing short of exquisite, blending aggression with precision to ensure DC's chase did not falter after early setbacks.
His shot selection was impeccable, and his ability to find gaps with ease kept the scoreboard ticking.
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Coming to the crease in the third over after Jake Fraser-McGurk's wicket on a tricky Chinnasway strip, Rahul opened his account with an exquisite drive off a fuller length delivery bowled by Bhuvneswar Kumar.
Although his first 19 runs came off as many as balls, Rahul upped the ante in the 8th over bowled by Josh Hazlewood, hitting the Australian for a maximum over the 'keeper's head.
After skipper Axar Patel departed, scoring 15 off 11 balls, Rahul displayed remarkable composure, curbing his natural attacking instincts and focusing more on getting ones and twos instead of fours and sixes.
In the 12th and 13th overs, bowled by Krunal Pandya and Liam Livingstone, he rotated the strike and punished the loose balls to keep the required rate under check. He survived a scare when on 5 after RCB Skipper Rajat Patidar dropped a tough catch running back from mid-off.
It was in the 16th over bowled by Hazlewood that Rahul took the responsibility of accelerating the innings. While Stubbs held one end, he plundered 22 runs off Hazlewood's third over, smashing him for three boundaries and a six, tilting the scales in DC's favour.
In the 18th over bowled by Yash Dayal, the Bengaluru lad hit two more sixes and a boundary, snatching the game away from RCB.
When the scores were level, he whipped a low full toss down leg over the long leg boundary and thumped his chest animatedly. Rahul crunched six sixes and seven fours in his unbeaten 93 off 53 balls, making it a memorable day in front of his home crowd.
Although Rahul has four IPL centuries to his name, this unbeaten 93 will go down as one of his finest innings in the glitzy league.
Chasing a modest target, Rahul needed someone to surge the flow of runs after the initial hiccups. Tristan Stubbs rolled his sleeves alongside Rahul to put up an unbeaten 111-run partnership to pull off the ropes and fire DC to a massive win.
Walking in at 58-4, Stubbs, with his natural stroke play and attacking intent ensured that DC remained in control. Initially, he went about his job unassumingly, playing the perfect foil to his senior partner. DC were 67 for 4 after 11 overs, and the asking rate had climbed to 10.77.
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In the 16th over bowled by leggie Suyash Sharma, the South African took control of the proceedings, hitting him for a sixer and a boundary off consecutive balls.
His unbeaten cameo, contributing 38 off 23 balls laced with four boundaries and a maximum, served as the icing on the cake.
Walking in at 117-6 in the 16th over, Tim David struggled initially with his timing as the DC bowlers kept such a tight line and length that it was virtually impossible for him to break free.
In the penultimate over bowled by Axar Patel, the Australian dasher got into his groove and accelerated the scoring, smoking the rival skipper for two sixes and a boundary.
In the final over bowled by Mukesh Kumar, he accumulated 19 runs with the help of two sixes and a four, and ensured that RCB got past the 160-run mark.
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Although his valiant effort at the fag end went in vain, Tim David, who was acquired by RCB for Rs 3 crore (Rs 30 million) at the 2025 auction, once again showed the world that there can be consistency in finishing too.
Photographs: BCCI