Royal Challengers Bengaluru (187/9) overcame Delhi Capitals (140/10) at the jam-packed Chinnaswamy to clinch their fifth win on a trot on Sunday. RCB came in all charged up as they dominated the game, first with help of Rajat Patidar (52/32) and Will Jacks (41/29), they posted 187 runs then bowlers put in a collective effort to clinch victory by 47 runs.
Delhi Capitals won the toss on a flat deck and invited Royal Challengers Bengaluru to bat first. Despite losing two wickets in the powerplay, they maintained a hefty run-rate over 10 runs, putting them on course for a 200+ total. Kuldeep Yadav (1/52) and Axar Patel (0/24) came as roadblocks and derailed Bengaluru’s innings as RCB sought to accelerate. They scored 187 runs after a late collapse, which was above par considering the pitch’s late slowness.
As Delhi entered the chase, they had a nightmare start losing 4 batters during their powerplay, which gave them RCB a big lead. While Axar Patel (57/39) and Shai Hope (29/23) gave a scare, Lockie Ferguson’s (2/23) masterclass in middle overs ended Delhi’s hopes. 
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have not only registered their fifth win in a row, but also booked their virtual knockout game against Chennai Super Kings on 18th May. In contrast, the Delhi Capitals are still in the race, but their inferior net run rate could ruin their chances even if they win their last game.
RCB vs DC had many twists and turns despite looking one-sided on the scoreboard. Here are five moments that shaped the outcome
Patidar’s counterpunch
Royal Challengers Bengaluru started their innings in a brutal manner with Virat Kohli (27/13) taking the charge. This effort, however, resulted in RCB losing two wickets within four overs. Rajat Patidar brushed aside all his fear and led the charge only from the next over onwards. In Mukesh Kumar’s (1/23) over, he smashed three fours to announce that RCB are going all-in. Aside from his fours, his mentality kept Delhi from getting the upper hand after two early wickets.
Jacks and Patidar’s onslaught against Kuldeep
Axar and Kuldeep, Delhi’s spin duo, are the soul and heart of their team. This clash was also reliant on them, but Jacks and Patidar took advantage to break the backbone of Capitals. Once Kuldeep arrived after the powerplay, Jacks capitalized on his chances and put Delhi under severe pressure. Kuldeep’s first two overs produced 27 runs, which forced Axar to change his plans. Even though Kuldeep got the better of Jacks in the end, the damage had already been done.
Green’s heavy lifting in death overs
After a late collapse, Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost the plot in the latter stages of the innings. At the end of the 16th over, they were 147 for two wickets, which was a poor effort considering they were 118 for two wickets at the end of the 11th over. In the midst of RCB’s RCB things, Cameron Green (32/24) came to the rescue and provided the much-needed late surge. In the 17th over of the innings, he blasted Kuldeep Yadav for 22 runs to ensure RCB reached a respectable total.
Yash Dayal’s double trouble over
Delhi were dealt an early blow with the wicket of David Warner (1/2) in the first over, but Jake Fraser-McGurk (21/8) and Abhisek Porel (2/3) began counter attacking. They scored 15 runs from Mohamed Siraj’s (1/33) over, evoking memories of Delhi’s last match, but Yash Dayal (3/20) took over. After dismissing Porel with his first ball, he ran out Jake Fraser-McGurk with some luck. Delhi never recovered from this double wicket over, which completely changed the complexion of the match.
Dayal’s final blow in 16th over
For Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel fought a lone battle and put them in a position to need 61 runs off five overs, which looked all possible with Axar at the crease. With Delhi coming back through the backdoor, Yash Dayal came as clutch and took all crucial Axar’s wickets to end Delhi’s hopes. Yash Dayal ended the match with three wickets.
Going into the final match of the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has given themselves their best shot. If they defeat Chennai Super Kings by a significant margin, they will qualify. At the moment, they are 6th in the table with 6 wins and 7 losses. From where they were five games ago, surely they can pull off a miracle.
Their Parimatch odds against CSK at Chinnaswamy are 1.90x. Delhi Capitals may have had a clearer path if they had won this game, but now they must pull off a miracle. In order to play in the playoffs, they must win their last game against LSG by a record margin. The Parimatch odds for the next match are at 1.83x rate.
