There were apprehensions whether the Indian Premier League fixture between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore would go ahead after the COVID-19 scare in the Capitals camp on the eve of the game.
But it was business as usual at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, with Royal Challengers Bangalore, riding on half-centuries by Dinesh Karthik (66 n.o., 34b, 5x4, 5x6) and Glenn Maxwell (55,34b, 7x4, 2x6), posting 189 for five to pull off a 16-run win against the Capitals.
Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed forged an unbeaten 97-run stand for the sixth wicket and smashed 74 in the last five overs to power the team to a competitive total. The Capitals got off to a brisk start with David Warner (66, 38b, 4x4, 5x6) and Prithvi Shaw bringing up 50 runs inside five overs before Mohammed Siraj dismissed Shaw.
Warner was at his aggressive best on Saturday but ended up trapped in front of the stumps by Wanindu Hasaranga while attempting a switch hit. Playing his first game of the season, Mitchell Marsh had a forgettable outing, with a 24-ball-14 before being run out. Skipper Rishabh Pant kept the chase going with a 17-ball 34 (3x4, 2x6). However, the Capitals lost the plot shortly after, as Virat Kohli’s stunning catch cut Pant's stay short. The team eventually finished at 173 for seven.
Earlier, the Royal Challengers lost openers Anuj Rawat and Faf du Plessis inside the first three overs with just 13 on the board. The onus was on Maxwell and Kohli to rebuild the innings, but that stand did not last long. Just after the Australian hit a couple of boundaries off Mustafizur Rahman in the sixth over, a direct throw by Lalit Yadav saw Kohli depart for 12.
Maxwell continued to prosper, hitting 23 off Kuldeep Yadav’s first over with two sixes and two fours, before offering an easy catch to Lalit at long-on.
After Maxwell’s exit, Royal Challengers’ in-form pair of Karthik and Shahbaz (32 n.o., 21b, 3x4, 1x6) stepped up. Karthik went hammer and tongs at the Capitals bowlers. In the 18th over, bowled by Mustafizur, Karthik rattled up 28 runs, hitting him for four fours and two sixes.
Off the next over, delivered by Shardul Thakur, Karthik was given out lbw by the on-field umpire. With the decision overturned moments after, Karthik hit the next ball out of the park.
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