IPL 2023, RCB VS DC: Delhi’s Miserable Run Continues as Bangalore Romp Home

IPL 2023, RCB VS DC: Delhi Capitals (DC) slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat in IPL 2023 on Saturday, April 15. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat them by 23 runs at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. With this win, RCB moved up to the seventh position in the IPL 2023 points table. 

After being asked to bat first, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis (22) gave RCB a good start with their 42-run partnership. Mitchell Marsh broke a promising stand in the 5th over by dismissing Du Plessis. Mahipal Lomror (26) and Kohli then took the home side ahead with a steady partnership of 47 runs. Virat Kohli finished his third half-century of the season in the 11th over but unfortunately departed immediately without converting it into a big one.

DC spinners- Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel brought their side back into the contest after Kohli’s dismissal as the RCB middle-order collapsed meekly from 117/2 to 132/6. Impact player Anuj Rawat couldn’t make any significant impact with the bat and played a slow knock of 15 (22). He never got going and that didn’t allow RCB to reach 180. Shahbaz Ahmed (20*) scored a handy cameo as RCB managed just 40 in the final five overs.

IPL 2023, RCB VS DC: Delhi Loses Five Matches in a Row

Chasing a 175-run score, DC was off to a horror start, losing three wickets for just two runs. Opener David Warner perished cheaply as well before DC kept losing wickets. David Warner also failed to stay longer as Delhi lost 4 wickets within the powerplay. The majority of the damage was done in the powerplay itself with Siraj and Parnell steaming in as the Capitals were reduced to 2/3. And then came Vijaykumar Vyshak to produce a brilliant spell on debut! He got rid of Warner who was starting to look dangerous. Once again in a run chase, DC lost wickets in clumps.

It required something special from the rest of the batters to hunt down the total. Young Abishek Porel couldn’t support experienced Manish Pandey and was the fifth one to depart. Vyshak removed Axar Patel with another slower delivery after being hit for a boundary. Vyshak ended with three for 20 from his four overs after removing Lalit Yadav in his final over and starring on his debut for RCB. Manish Pandey showed some character with a 38-ball 50 but that wasn’t enough for his team to cross the line. But apart from him no other batter really got going. Warner, Axar, Anrich Nortje, and Aman Hakim Khan were the only other batters to reach double figures.