The bowlers had a field day at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked up a comprehensive 47-run win over Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
With the race for the play-offs entering the final week, the RCB bowlers fired in unison as the hosts picked up their fifth win on the trot.
After opting to bowl first, the Capitals bowling unit did well to restrict RCB to under 200, but it was the RCB bowling unit who walked away with the accolades for their match-winning performance.
A look at the best spells on display in Bengaluru on Sunday, May 12, 2024.
Khaleel Ahmed
All six of Delhi Capitals bowlers got onto the wicket-taker's list. Sharing the new ball with Ishan Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed began his spell on an expensive note, leaking 13 runs in his first over.
After bowling just one over in the Powerplay, he came back into the attack in the 10th over and conceded 11 runs, but he would have picked up his first, if not for a drop by Tristan Stubbs, who handed Will Jacks his second lifeline. While he was expensive in his first two overs, he made amends in his remaining two overs.
With Jacks and Patidar building a strong partnership, Khaleel got his lengths right and kept the batters quiet, conceding just three runs in his third over. He saved his best for his final over.
After being hit for a boundary by Cameron Green, Khaleel struck on the next ball to send Mahipal Lomror packing for 13 off 8. It was a nervy moment, before Abishek Porel held onto the catch and Khaleel breathed a sigh of relief.
Following Lomror's wicket, The Finisher Dinesh Karthik walked in. Khaleel silenced the home crowd as he removed the big-hitting DK for a two ball duck, finishing his spell with an excellent over. Conceding just five and picking up two wickets, Khaleel, bowling at an economy of 7.75, finished his spell with 2/31.
Mukesh Kumar
A below-the-radar bowler who delivers consistently for the Capitals, Mukesh Kumar as always found himself on the wicket-taker's list. Coming into the attack in only the third over, he immediately put a stop to RCB&'s fiery start.
With RCB cruising at 23/0 after two overs, Mukesh removed the home skipper. Going wide, the ball swung further and Faf du Plessis looking to drive it over covers, ended up sending it flat to Jake Fraser-McGurk at deep backward point.
Mukesh began his spell with a sizzling over, conceding just two and picking up Faf's big wicket. In his second over, Mukesh bore the brunt of Rajat Patidar's assault as he leaked 14 runs.
Closing out the innings, Mukesh bowled a stellar 20th over. After being hit for a boundary on the first ball, the calm and composed Mukesh kept the batters in check with a brilliant effort.
On the penultimate delivery, he nailed the yorker with one run coming off it, while he paired up with Shai Hope to run out Karn Sharma.
Cameron Green struggled to find the boundary ropes off Mukesh as he conceded just eight in the final over. Mukesh's efforts in the death kept RCB under 200.
Rasikh Salam
Rasikh Salam came into the attack in the 11th over and he would have struck on the very first ball, but another drop by Axar Patel saw Patidar being handed another lifeline. Salam kept Jacks and Patidar in check, conceding just eight runs in his first over.
In his second, he conceded ten but picked up Patidar.
Patidar, who had turned RCB's innings around with a 32-ball 52, threatened to take the hosts to a massive target. But Salam came to the visitor's rescue, as Patidar cramped for room, mistimed the ball to Axar, who much to the relief of the DC camp, picked up the catch to hand Salam his first scalp of the night.
Salam came back in the death to keep the RCB batters in check, with another good over.
Conceding just five runs in the 19th over, Salam picked up the wicket of impact player Swapnil Singh, who walked without having any impact on RCB's scoreboard. Finishing his over with a perfect yorker, Rasikh was brilliant for the Capitals at the death. Bowling three overs, at an economy of 7.66, Salam turned in figures of 2/23.
Yash Dayal
The RCB bowlers started firing a little late into the season, but in the past couple of games, they have gotten their act together.
Yash Dayal once again was the leading wicket-taker for the Challengers as he picked up three wickets to play a crucial role for RCB's home game against DC.
Coming into the attack in the third over, Dayal began his spell on the perfect note as he struck on the very first ball. Starting with a short ball on off, Porel top-edged it to Lockie Ferguson at cover as Dayal reduced DC to 24/2 in 2.1 overs.
But Dayal wasn't done just yet, as he struck on the very next ball, starting his spell with two back-to-back wickets. A length ball onto the stumps and Shai Hope hit it straight down the ground.
Dayal got his left hand on it and it deflected onto the stumps at the non-striker's end and that ended the in-form Jake Fraser-McGurk's knock. DC was reeling at 24/3 in 2.2 overs.
Conceding just four runs and picking up a wicket and implementing a runout, Dayal began his spell on the perfect note. In his second over, Hope took a couple of boundaries off him as he leaked 11 runs.
Dayal was brought back into the attack in the 16th over, with DC needing 61 off 30. With Axar Patel at the crease it was well withing DC's reach. But Dayal struck the death blow for the visitors as he bowled another brilliant over.
While he put pressure on the run-rate conceding just three runs, Dayal picked up Axar's wicket. With the pace off, Axar got a thick outside edge to mishit it and Faf picked up a fine catch.
Bowling the 20th over, Dayal finished off the proceedings as he knocked back the stumps to clean up the Capitals for 140. Bowling at an economy of 6.31, Dayal turned in figures of 3/20 from his 3.1 overs.
Lockie Ferguson
Coming into the attack in the eighth over, Ferguson conceded eight runs as he kept the set Axar and Hope in check. With DC back into the game with a solid fifth wicket partnership between Patel and Hope, Ferguson came to RCB's rescue in his second over.
Bowling the 10th over, Ferguson put the brakes on the Capitals as he send Hope back to the dugout. A mishit from Hope and Karn Sharma picked up a running catch as Ferguson picked up his first. Conceding just six runs and removing Hope, Ferguson tilted the scales in RCB's favour.
After conceding 8 runs in his next, Ferguson bowled another superb over to finish off his spell. Bowling the 18th over, Ferguson conceded just two runs and picked up Mukesh Sharma, to finish with figures of 2/23. Ferguson kept the DC batters in check, bowling at an economy of 5.75.
Cameron Green
After a quickfire knock, Green turned in a good show with the ball to take RCB to their sixth win of the season. Bowling at a sizzling economy of 4.75, Green bowled four tidy spells to keep DC in check. Brought into the attack in the 9th over, Green conceded 10 runs with Hope and Axar well settled in the middle.
In his second over, Green kept his lengths tight as he conceded just three runs while also implementing a run out on the final ball of the over.
Returning in the 15th over, Green was clinical as he conceded just three runs and picked up Rasikh Salam. His final over was another tight over, as he gave away only three runs, turning in stellar figures of 1/19.
Player-of-the-match Green pocketed just one wicket, but his tight overs put the necessary pressure on the DC scoreboard as the match slipped away from the visitors.
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