The Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved to the top of the IPL standings on Sunday night after a composed six-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals — with South African Tristan Stubbs offering a bright spark in an otherwise tough night for the hosts.
Chasing 163 for victory at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground, RCB stumbled to 26 for 3 before Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya stitched together a match-winning 119-run stand. Kohli struck a measured 51, while Krunal powered through a scratchy start to finish unbeaten on 73 off 47 balls, sealing victory with nine balls to spare.
The win was RCB’s sixth in a row away from home this season, keeping alive Kohli’s long-standing dream of lifting a first IPL title.
Stubbs Shows His Class
While Delhi’s batting faltered around him, Tristan Stubbs showed glimpses of the potential that has excited South African fans in recent seasons. After coming in at a difficult stage, Stubbs played a counter-attacking cameo of 34 off just 18 balls, giving the home side a late surge of momentum on a tricky surface.
Stubbs launched a couple of audacious shots — including a lofted six that sailed into the stands — and was instrumental in pushing Delhi to a defendable 162 for 8. His fearless strokeplay once again highlighted why he is regarded as one of the brightest young finishers in South African cricket.
Earlier, Delhi had gotten off to a flying start through Abishek Porel’s 11-ball 28, but RCB’s Australian quick Josh Hazlewood pegged them back with disciplined bowling. Hazlewood finished with 2 for 31, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the attack superbly with figures of 3 for 33.
Krunal and Kohli Steer the Chase
Delhi captain Axar Patel jolted Bengaluru early with two wickets in his first over, removing IPL debutant Jacob Bethel for 12 and Devdutt Padikkal for a duck. When Rajat Patidar was run out cheaply, RCB were in trouble.
Krunal Pandya, however, despite a bruising start to his innings — including being struck on the helmet by Dushmantha Chameera — dug deep. He struggled to 25 off 28 balls but found his rhythm alongside Kohli, who rotated the strike cleverly on a slowing pitch.
Pandya eventually exploded, smashing 48 runs off his final 19 deliveries, including two sixes off Mukesh Kumar. Kohli, meanwhile, passed Suryakumar Yadav to become the season’s leading run-scorer with 443 runs, underlining his vital role in RCB’s campaign.
After Kohli’s dismissal, Pandya and Tim David (an unbeaten 19 off 5 balls) finished the job comfortably.
Bengaluru’s Title Push Gathers Steam
RCB’s combination of resilience and experience is starting to show at the business end of the season. With Krunal excelling in a new role and the bowling unit firing, hopes are rising that Bengaluru could finally end their title drought.
For Delhi, there were few positives besides Stubbs’ cameo, with their playoff hopes now hanging by a thread. But South African fans will take heart from Stubbs’ continued growth in pressure situations — a promising sign for the national side heading into a busy international calendar.
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