In what can be a called a thrilling turnaround of fortunes, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) registered their fifth consecutive win as they triumphed over Delhi Capitals (DC) by 47 runs to keep their playoff hopes alive at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
It was a night where despite early setbacks in the powerplay, RCB’s aggressive batting attack overwhelmed DC’s bowlers. Led by Rajat “The Rocket” Patidar who lit up the scoreboard with an impressive 52 off 32 balls, supported by Will Jacks’ quickfire 41 and Cameron “Run Machine” Green’s unbeaten 32*, RCB posted a commanding total of 187 for nine.
Despite DC’s efforts to contain the onslaught, Kuldeep Yadav bore the brunt, conceding 52 runs without much success. This was the second time in IPL 17 that he had conceded 50+ runs. The last time it happened was in DC’s match against SRH.
In reply, the DC chase fizzled out like a spent firecracker, despite Axar Patel’s resilient 57. RCB’s bowlers, spearheaded by Yash Dayal’s outstanding 3/20 and Lockie “The Fast and the Furious” Ferguson, turned the tide in their favor.
Their fielding was impeccable, thwarting any DC attempts to spark a revival with crucial run-outs and catches. As the dust settled, the Bangalore team emerged triumphant, with the crowd’s cheers resonating the fiery determination of a team unwilling to yield. This means that there is an intense competition in the middle of IPL points table. RCB are tied with LSG and DC at 12 points. the finale of IPL 2024 will be played on May 26. Top 4 teams at the end of group stage will qualify for the playoffs. So far, only KKR have managed to do so.
