“On Saturday at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in IPL 2023, Delhi Capitals began their chase for their first win of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore, with a target of 175 runs. However, their opening batsmen Prithvi Shaw (0), Mitchell Marsh (0), and Yash Dhull (1) fell early, leaving Delhi struggling at 2/3 in just three overs. Despite David Warner’s efforts, who scored 19 runs, Delhi lost four wickets and was reduced to 30/4. Eventually, Abhishek Porel and Manish Pandey managed a 23-run partnership before the DC wicketkeeper-batsman got out, scoring only five runs.”
“Royal Challengers Bangalore was put to bat first, and they got off to a strong start with Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis leading the way. However, in the fifth over, Faf fell victim to an excellent catch by Aman Hakim Khan. Kohli continued to bat and registered his third consecutive half-century at home. Unfortunately, he was dismissed on the very next delivery due to a poorly bowled full toss, which disrupted RCB’s momentum.”
“Although Mahipal Lomror (26) and Glenn Maxwell (24) made some valuable contributions in the middle order, their efforts were insufficient for a stadium of this nature. In a devastating spell, Harshal Patel, Maxwell, and Dinesh Karthik fell on three successive deliveries, and RCB’s score plummeted from 132/3 to 132/6. Nevertheless, Shahbaz Ahmed and Anuj Rawat put up a fight and scored 40 runs in the final five overs to bring RCB’s total to a competitive 174 runs.”
“Vijaykumar Vyshak makes his debut for RCB, while Wanindu Hasaranga returns to the playing XI. On the other hand, Mitchell Marsh replaces Rovman Powell in Delhi’s team.”
“During the week, Delhi Capitals came agonizingly close to their first win against the Mumbai Indians, who were also winless at that time. However, they ultimately emerged victorious in a last-ball finish. Despite this win, their chances of making the playoffs appear to be slim.
The debate around Axar Patel’s batting position has intensified since the all-rounder has been scoring runs at a faster pace than skipper David Warner, who has three fifties to his name this season but has been scoring at a pedestrian strike rate of 114.83. Nevertheless, Warner has performed well at this venue before and will be looking to find his form soon.
Royal Challengers Bangalore also suffered a last-ball defeat this week, with Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran scoring fifties to deny them a victory that seemed almost certain.
RCB will be bolstered by the return of wristspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who is likely to pose a challenge for DC. With two home games in three days, RCB will have the opportunity to capitalize on their familiarity with the home surface and conditions.”
