Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul shone in Delhi Capitals' win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (PTI Photo)

Stoic Stubbs, Killer Miller ensure KL Rahul's birthday bash is on in Bengaluru

IPL 2026, RCB vs DC: Delhi Capitals chased down 176 on a sluggish Bengaluru pitch on Saturday. Birthday boy KL Rahul struck a fifty before Tristan Stubbs and David Miller produced a clinical finishing act to deny Royal Challengers Bengaluru a climb to the top of the points table.

18 Apr 2026, 14:32 by Akshay Ramesh · India Today

In Short

Delhi Capitals successfully chased 176 on a slow pitch in Bengaluru
KL Rahul hit a fifty on his birthday, helping Delhi recover from early blows
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's sensational spell for RCB went in vain

BRIEF SCORE: Delhi Capitals (179 for 4 in 19.5 overs) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (175 for 8 in 20 overs) by six wickets in Bengaluru in an IPL 2026 match on Saturday. RCB vs DC: Scorecard | Highlights

Last year, during his trip to Bengaluru, KL Rahul made certain he was there to turn the lights out. His unbeaten 93 in Delhi Capitals' successful pursuit of 164 remains etched in the memory. Not just for the runs, but for the rare, visceral release of the 'Kantara' celebration that followed. On Saturday, marking his 34th birthday, the script initially threatened a different ending. Facing a target of 176 on an uncharacteristically sluggish Chinnaswamy surface, Rahul was unable to provide the final flourish himself.

Yet, the party went on as planned. Where the star batter left off, the South African tandem of Tristan Stubbs and David Miller took over, demonstrating nerves of tempered steel to snatch a riveting victory from the jaws of a Bengaluru squeeze. RCB's push to top the table was stalled as they lost at home for the first time this season.

Stubbs, arguably one of the most composed young talents in the global game, acted as the chase's ballast. As the asking rate began to climb into the uncomfortable territory of the mid-teens, the 25-year-old refused to blink. His presence at the crease allowed the veteran Miller, a man who has made a career out of late-innings heists, to eventually sing his own redemption song.

With the equation reduced to 15 required from the final six deliveries, Miller timed his surge to perfection. There was no need for the frantic scurry of singles (or denied singles); the Killer dealt exclusively with maximums and boundaries. He dismantled Romario Shepherd, launching two towering sixes and a definitive boundary to settle the contest, allowing the Capitals' dugout to finally breathe a collective sigh of relief.

While the finishers took the glory, it was Rahul who did the heavy lifting. His innings was a study in steely determination, rescuing a Delhi side that looked utterly jaded at 18 for 3. The Capitals had been left reeling by a masterclass in new-ball swing from the wily Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who used the setting sun and a hint of movement to dismiss the in-form Pathum Nissanka, Sameer Rizvi, and a returning Karun Nair.

But the local boy refused to relent. Understanding the premium on Powerplay runs on a pitch that was only getting slower, Rahul took the fight to Josh Hazlewood. Despite the Australian being one of the most parsimonious operators in the league, Rahul's aggressive counter-attack ensured the Capitals dragged themselves to 50 by the end of the sixth over.

RAHUL AND STUBBS DO THE REPAIR JOB

KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs provided the backbone of the chase, sharing a 69-run partnership in just over seven overs. Rahul was in a fine groove, keeping the tempo high and making the target look well within reach on his 34th birthday.

However, the momentum shifted in the 11th over thanks to some clever bowling from Krunal Pandya. After two tight overs from the spinner, Rahul felt the need to break the shackles. He skipped down the track to loft Krunal over the covers but failed to clear the boundary, finding the safe hands of Virat Kohli at deep cover.

With the star batter gone, captain Axar Patel stepped in to up the ante. Though he has struggled for form this season, he managed a brisk 26 off 19 balls to keep Delhi in the hunt. But the stifling Bengaluru heat eventually took its toll; visibly exhausted, Axar opted to "retire out" in the 16th over to bring in a fresh pair of legs.

The equation looked grim when David Miller joined Stubbs, with 41 needed from the final four overs. Josh Hazlewood then tightened the screws further, using all his experience to concede just four runs in a brilliant 17th over.

With the pressure reaching breaking point, Stubbs finally found the release Delhi needed. He took a calculated risk against the veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had been near-perfect until that point. Stubbs launched a massive six to bring up a vital half-century in an over that cost RCB 12 runs, finally swinging the momentum back in the Capitals' favour.

RCB STRUGGLE AT SLUGGISH HOME

Asked to bat first on a surface that whispered of sluggishness beneath its golden sheen, RCB burst out of the blocks with the intent of men possessed. Salt, in particular, looked to have brought his own private highway to the crease. His 63 off 38 balls was an exhibition of no-look power and calculated risk, dismantling Auqib Nabi in a flurry of boundaries that catapulted the hosts to 59/1 in the powerplay.

Kohli, meanwhile, looked imperious for a brief 13-ball stay, stroking three exquisite boundaries before a deceptive Lungi Ngidi delivery ended his quest for a 300th IPL six. When he holed out to deep cover for 19, the Chinnaswamy Stadium fell into a momentary, stunned silence, but Salt refused to let the momentum sag, reaching his fifty in just 30 deliveries.

THE SPIN STRANGLEHOLD

As the field spread, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav began to operate with the surgical precision of diamond cutters. Axar, in particular, was the personification of parsimony, finishing with a match-defining 2/18. He removed Devdutt Padikkal (18) just as the left-hander looked to shift gears, and later accounted for the dangerous Tim David (26) with a ball that gripped and turned.

Kuldeep provided the knockout blow to the set batter, enticing Salt into a fatal aerial route that ended in the hands of Tristan Stubbs. From a position of relative comfort at 99/2 after 10 overs, RCB's innings began to bleed. The middle order, including skipper Rajat Patidar and the expensive Romario Shepherd, found themselves entangled in a web of dots.

The final flourish never truly arrived. Jitesh Sharma struggled for rhythm, eating up 20 balls for a laborious 14, while a late straight six from Krunal Pandya ended in a chaotic run-out.

Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, and Ngidi (2/39) closed out the death overs with a mix of wide yorkers and slower bouncers, ensuring the hosts left at least 20 runs out on the park.

RCB, who have smashed batting records this season, struggled on the sluggish pitch, managing just 43 runs in their last seven overs, losing four wickets in that phase.

The win came at the right time for Delhi Capitals as they snapped a two-match losing streak. Axar's men will next face SunRisers Hyderabad away from home on Tuesday, April 21.

- Ends