Bengaluru, Apr 11: Being behind the wickets during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru innings helped Delhi Capitals' wicketkeeper-batter K.L Rahul insights into the way the wicket was behaving, helping him guide his team to a six-wicket victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

On his return home, Bengaluru-boy Rahul compiled a brilliant unbeaten 93, scoring his second successive half-century as he held the Delhi Capitals' innings together as they chased a target of 164. Rahul blasted six maximums and seven fours in his 53-ball knock and shared a 111-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (38 not out) to help DC register their fourth win in four matches.

"It was a slightly tricky wicket but what helped me was being behind the stumps for 20 overs, watching how the wicket played. The ball sat in the wicket but it was consistent throughout, it was one-paced. I knew what my shots were, wanted to get off to a good start, and then assessed it accordingly. It depends on the conditions and the ground and the dimensions," Rahul said during the post-match presentation at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

He said he could pace his innings as he realised which pockets to target to score his runs.

"On a wicket like this, I knew what my pockets were. If I wanted to hit a big six, I knew what pockets to target, and keeping gave me a feeler for where other batters were dismissed and where they hit the sixes. Got lucky with the dropped catch. This is my ground, my home, know this (ground) better than anyone else. Something I have always done with my preparation is that I always try to adapt to different wickets (even in practice)," said Rahul.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar said they did not bat well and they had no business slumping from 80/0 to 90/4 at the start of their innings.

"The way we have seen the wicket earlier, it was quite different. We thought it would be a nice batting track. We have not batted well. Batters are in a good frame of mind, they have shown nice intent. 80 for one, and then 90 for four, that is not acceptable (on this track). We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation," said Patidar.

Asked to bat first, RCB openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli came out firing on all cylinders. They raced to fifty in the third over, the fastest team fifty in IPL ever, but once Salt was run out, lost their way against some brilliant bowling by DC pacers and wrist-spinners to post a paltry score of 163/7.

Patidar picked Tim David's 37 not out towards the end of their innings as the only positive for his team from this match.

"The way David accelerated at the end, was really amazing. The powerplay, the way the fast bowlers bowled, it was really special. (On their next game away to Jaipur) We are not keeping things in our mind that we have a good away record. The simple thing is that we have to play good cricket," said Patidar as RCB lost their second match at home this season. They have now won three games from five and will be hoping to regroup in their next match.

(IANS)

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