IPL 2021, RCB vs DC: Who won yesterday’s match?

Brilliant half-centuries from Srikar Bharat (78 not out off 52 balls) and Glenn Maxwell (51 not out off 33 balls) saw Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) defeat Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven wickets in match number 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in Dubai on Friday.

After the RCB stumbled to 55 for 3, Bharat and Maxwell featured in an unbroken 111-run stand for the fourth wicket to take their team over the line while chasing 165 for victory. RCB were aided by some sloppy fielding from the DC players, who dropped Maxwell twice in one over.

In the end, it came down to 15 required off the last over. Avesh Khan’s first delivery, a slower ball, was dispatched for a boundary by Maxwell. There were a couple of good yorkers, but a misfield from Axar Patel allowed the RCB to steal an extra run.

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Six off one quickly became five off one as Avesh bowled a wide down the leg side. Bharat then dispatched a thigh-high full toss over the ropes for a maximum as RCB pulled off an unlikely win.

RCB got off to a horror start while chasing 165. Devdutt Padikkal fell for a golden duck as he ramped a short ball from Anrich Nortje straight to the thirdman fielder. The DC speedster also dismissed Virat Kohli (4) cheaply, with the RCB skipper slicing a length ball towards mid-off.

Bharat and AB de Villiers, who was sensibly promoted up the order, then began the repair job for RCB. Bharat danced down the track and smacked Axar for a six over long-off before sweeping the next ball was for a four.

De Villiers was content rotating the strike before crunching Ravichandran Ashwin for a massive six over long-on. But the South African legend’s poor run in IPL 2021 continued as he was late to pull an Axar Patel delivery and was caught at deep square leg for a run-a-ball 26.

Bharat kept up the fight for RCB. In Axar’s third over, the 12th of the innings, he danced down the track and lofted the left-arm spinner for a six over his head. Axar’s last over was an eventful one. It began with Shreyas Iyer dropping Maxwell at deep midwicket. The maverick RCB batter switch-hit the next two balls for consecutive fours. The DC spinner could have had a wicket with his last ball, but Ashwin at short third man let the ball slip out while diving forward.

Now into his groove, Maxwell punished Nortje and slogged him for two fours in the 15th over, bringing the equation to 57 required off 30 balls. The Australian all-rounder kept finding the boundaries to put DC bowlers under pressure.

At the other end, having gone past his maiden IPL fifty, Bharat heaved a slower ball from Kagiso Rabada to deep midwicket for six. Nortje then bowled a brilliant penultimate over, conceding only four, but Avesh failed to hold his nerve in the last over of the match.

DC held to 164 for 5 despite blazing opening stand

DC opener Prithvi Shaw. Pic: IPLT20.COM

DC floundered after a great opening stand as RCB fought back to restrict them to 164 for 5. Sent into bat after losing the toss, Prithvi Shaw (48 off 31) and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 35) added a brisk 88-run opening stand. However, the middle order failed to build on a fantastic start as RCB’s bowlers put up a disciplined showing in the second half.

DC openers eased their way through the powerplay, picking boundaries at regular intervals. The first six of the match came in the fifth over when Dhawan smashed Maxwell over the backward square leg boundary. In the same over, Shaw jumped down the track and drove the off-spinner past extra cover for an impressive four.

Delhi ended the powerplay on a high, with both openers helping themselves to a boundary each off George Garton. In the ninth over, Dhawan clubbed Harshal Patel for a six over square leg. In the very next over, Shaw danced down the track and whacked Yuzvendra Chahal for another maximum.

Both DC openers fell in quick succession, though, as RCB wrested back the initiative. Dhawan was outfoxed by Harshal’s slower ball and spooned a catch to mid-off. Then, after clubbing Chahal for a six, Shaw perished on the next ball. His inside-out hit found sweeper cover, with George Garton taking a juggling catch.

DC skipper Rishabh Pant (10) was caught behind off Dan Christian, attempting to smash a ball that bounced more than he expected.

Shreyas Iyer (18) holed out to long-on against Mohammed Siraj, who was extremely thrifty. Shimron Hetmyer (29 off 22) threw his bat around a found a few handy boundaries. He was out to a high-full toss from Siraj last ball of the innings as DC failed to touch 170.

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IPL 2021, RCB vs DC: Who was the Man of the Match

Siraj excelled for RCB with the ball, claiming two key wickets and stalling DC’s momentum. In the chase, Bharat played his best IPL innings till date to lift the team to a famous win. Maxwell carried on his great run and notched up yet another fifty.

For DC, both openers, Shaw and Dhawan did well, scoring fine 40s. Nortje was superb for them with the ball. He picked up two early wickets and was brilliant at the death as well.

Bharat was deservedly named Man of the Match for his scintillating performance with the willow.