Bengaluru, Apr 10: A brilliant all-round bowling performance helped Delhi Capitals reel in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after a whirlwind start to restrict them to a modest 163/7 in 20 overs in Match 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.

RCB raced off the block with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blazing to the fastest team fifty in IPL history. But things went haywire after Salt was run out and RCB's innings faltered as pacer Mukesh Kumar, and wrist-spinners Vipraj Nigam (2-18) and Kuldeep Yadav (2-17) bowled brilliantly to apply the brakes.

It developed into a cat-and-mouse game as every time RCB tried to break the shackles, DC would come back to thwart them. The home side raced to 53/0 in the first three overs and then could manage only 74/7 in the next 15 overs. Tim David hammered some big ones in the last two overs, which bought RCB 36 runs, to bring some respectability to the total.

It was a power-play of two halves -- RCB racing to 53 in the first three overs and DC pulling things back with an 11/2 haul in the next three.

After a modestly quiet first over (7 runs) by Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli went hammer and tongs at the bowling reaching the fastest team fifty-ever in IPL inside the third over. Axar Patel's second over cost 16 runs, two fours, and one six shared by the batters.

English opener Salt waded into Australian pacer Starc in the third over, blasting him for 30 runs, hitting 6, 4, 4, 5nb, 6 followed by five leg byes in two balls as RCB reached 53/0 in three overs.

Kohli hit Axar for a six in the fourth over but the left-arm spinner but RCB's vociferous supporters in the jam-packed stadium were silenced as Salt was run out going for a difficult single as Kohli took a start and then stopped. Salt, who slipped while attempting to gain ground, was run out for 37 off 17 balls.

Mukesh Kumar bowled a wicket-maiden claiming the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal (1) and Kohli fell in the next over as he tried to break the shackles. After hitting Vipraj Nigam for a six, Kohli attempted another big one but managed to find Starc as he failed to reach the ball for an inside-out shot as RCB slumped to 74/3.

Though skipper Rajat Patidar kept the scoreboard going from one end, Liam Livingstone (3) and Jitesh Sharma (3) fell in quick succession and RCB were soon down to 102/5 in the 13th over.

Patidar and Krunal Pandya tried to repair the innings but the skipper skied one behind to keeper Rahul trying to hit over square, getting out for 25 off 23 balls. Pandya made a run-a-ball 18.

Singapore-born Australian dasher Tim David hammered 36 runs in the last two overs bowled by Axar Patel (17) and Mukesh Kumar (19 runs), hitting four sixes and two fours as RCB managed to cross the 150-run mark. Tim David ended unbeaten on 37 off 20 balls to provide a final push to the innings.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 163/7 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 37, Tim David 37 not out; Vipraj Nigam 2-18, Kuldeep Yadav 2-17) against Delhi Capitals.

--IANS

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