PICS: De Villiers stars as RCB escape to victory over Delhi

Images from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore rode on an AB de Villiers special and a clinical final over from Mohammad Siraj to score a one-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League match, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.

The experienced South African scored an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, which included five sixes and three fours, as RCB, batting first, turned things around from a precarious 60 for 3 in the ninth over.

He took 23 runs in the last over, bowled by Marcus Stoinis, as 56 runs were garnered from the last five.

In reply, Delhi Capitals, powered by whirlwind fifties from skipper Rishabh Pant (58 not out off 48 balls) and Shimron Hetmyer (53 not out off 25), looked set to overhaul the total, but were checked in their stride by some smart bowling by Siraj in the final over.

Delhi needed 14 runs from the last six deliveries, and got just six from the first five. Six were needed off the last ball, but Pant could only get four and RCB escaped to victory.

Earlier, Rajat Patidar (31) and Glenn Maxwell  (25 off 20 balls) made valuable contributions after Virat Kohli (12) and Devdutt Padikkal (17) perished before the end of the powerplay overs, which yielded just 36 runs, to prop RCB.

Ishant Sharma (1-26), Axar Patel (1-33), Kagiso Rabada (1-38), Amit Mishra (127) and Avesh Khan (1-24) bowled their hearts out but were helpless against the onslaught from de Villiers.

Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl. They included Ishant Sharma in place of Ravichandran Ashwin, who has taken a break from IPL 2021 to be with his family, which is 'putting up a fight against COVID-19'.

Royal Challengers Bangalore made a couple of changes; Rajat Patidar coming in for pacer Navdeep Saini and left-arm pacer Daniel Sams replacing Dan Christian.

Ishant Sharma opened the bowling for Delhi Capitals, while Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal got the RCB innings underway. The pair started well, getting 6 from the first over, 10 from the next, bowled by Kagiso Rabada, and 9 from Ishant’s second over to take RCB 25 without loss after three.

But right-arm pacer Avesh Khan ended the partnership, dismissing Kohli with the sixth delivery of his first over.

RCB’s skipper tried to guide a good length delivery from Khan to third man but only got an inside edge, which crashed into the stumps.

He was out for 12 off 11 balls and RCB were 30 for 1 after 4 overs.

Delhi tasted another success immediately, as Ishant had Padikkal bowled. The batsman was surprised by the speed of the delivery, which nicked back on a good length and rattled off-stump.

It was a wicket maiden for Ishant, whose figures read 3-1-15-1 at the end of the fifth over.

All of a sudden the Royal Challengers had two new batsmen in Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell at the crease.

Maxwell hit a four off Khan as RCB ended the powerplay with 36 for 2.

The Aussie then got a six off leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the next over and another off Axar Patel in the eighth to get the Royal Challengers going.

The wily Mishra, however, ended Maxwell's innings with the third delivery of his second over, having him caught by Steven Smith.

Maxwell tried to hit the leggie from wide of off-stump and holed out to his countryman at long-on.

Maxwell was out for 25 off 20 balls, which included a four and 2 sixes, and Delhi bagged another big wicket as RCB were in a spot at 60-3 in the ninth over.

At the half-way stage they were 68 for 3, with a lot to be done in the remaining ten.

Could AB de Villiers, who replaced Maxwell, and Patidar come up with something special?

They did. They went after the Delhi bowlers. The South African launched Axar, bowling his fourth over, over long-off for a six and went past 5000 runs in IPL in his 139th match.

He is only the second overseas player to get to the landmark and sixth overall, after Virat Kohli (6041), Suresh Raina (5472), Shikhar Dhawan (5456), Rohit Sharma (5431) and David Warner (5390).

The six also brought up the 50-run stand between the two off 36 balls for the fourth wicket.

However, Axar ended the flourishing partnership after just four more runs were added. Patidar went for a big hit and was caught by Smith at long-on.

The batsman was out after good 31 off 22 balls, which included 2 sixes, as RCB were reduced to 114-4 in the 15th over.

Axar finished with figures of 4-0-33-1.  

Washington Sundar, the new-man in, faced just 9 balls as de Villiers did all the scoring before Rabada had him caught and bowled for 6. RCB were 139-5 in the 18th.

DeVillers then posted his 40th IPL 50, hitting the penultimate delivery of Khan’s spell in the 19th over for four.

Khan finished with 1 for 24 as RCB went into the final over on 148 for 5.

Delhi took a gamble of handing the responsibility of bowling the last over to Marcus Stoinis. The Aussie, in his first over, started off with a wide and De Villiers took two runs off the resultant free-hit.

The South African then hit a six. A dot ball followed before he hit another two sixes and two off the final delivery.

De Villiers finished unbeaten after a splendid 75 off 42 balls, including five sixes and three fours.

Stoinis conceded 23 runs in the final over as RCB ended up with 171 for 5 in their 20 overs.

The start of Delhi Capitals' run-chase was delayed by a dust storm that swept across the Narendra Modi stadium.

It was quite windy out in the middle and the umpires asked the players to stay rooted in dugout.

Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw opened the batting for Delhi Capitals while left-arm pacer Daniel Sams got the bowling underway for RCB.

Dhawan and Shaw put up 23 runs before Kyle Jamieson, who came into the attack in place of Sams, ended the stand in the third over.

Dhawan, unable to get a run off the first two deliveries, pulled a short one from Jamieson straight into the hands of Yuzvendra Chahal at fine leg . He perished for six.

Steve Smith came in at No 3 and defended the first two balls he faced before pulling the last delivery from Jamieson for a four over midwicket to get off the mark.

However, Mohammed Siraj dismissed him in the next over. Looks to drive it straight, Smith edged the away-going ball and was caught behind by wicketkeeper A B de Villiers for 4. Delhi Capitals were 28 for 2 in the third over.

Medium pacer Harshal Patel was introduced into the attack in the eight over and struck with his second delivery, dismissing Shaw. The opener threw his bat at a wide delivery, got the bottom edge of the bat and caught behind for 21.

Delhi were 47 for 3 in the eight over.

Pant and Marcus Stoinis then guided Delhi to 62-3 at the half-way mark without further loss. The pair took 12 runs from the 12 over, to take the total to 81 for 3, with another 91 more needed from eight overs for victory.

But Harshal dented Delhi's hopes with the wicket of Stoinis, who looked to drive a wide delivery but got an edge and was caught behind for 22.

Delhi were 92 for 4 in the 13th over.

Pant and Hetmyer then launched an all-out attack to take Delhi to 156 for 4. They took 11 off the penultimate over, extending their partnership to 67 off 39 balls, even as Hetmyer got to his 50 off 23 balls.

11 runs came from the 19th over, leaving Delhi 14 to get from the final one, bowled by Siraj.

They got six runs from the first five balls and six were needed from the last ball, but Pant could only get four.

RCB escaped with a thrilling one-run victory.

• IPL 2021