IPL 2020: Delhi beat Bangalore by six wickets, both qualify for playoffs

Abu Dhabi - Chasing 153, Dhawan and Rahane, raised their fifties from 37 balls each, and shared an 88-run second-wicket partnership

Half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane (46-ball 60), Shikhar Dhawan (41-ball 54) and wickets from Anrich Nortje (3 for 33) and Kagiso Rabada (2 for 30) confirmed Delhi Capitals’ berth in playoffs as the No.2 side of the Indian Premier League 2020 with 16 points.

Chasing 153, Dhawan and Rahane, raised their fifties from 37 balls each, and shared an 88-run second-wicket partnership to take Delhi to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Bangalore, though losing the fourth match on the bounce, qualified for the playoffs as No.3 side after pushing Delhi beyond 17.3 overs and ensuring the required net run rate.

Meanwhile, a determined Delhi had fire in their bellies to end their four-match losing streak and stay on track to make their maiden appearance in the IPL final. Delhi will now take on defending champ Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier to be played in Dubai on Thursday.

Keeping such lofty targets in mind, the Delhi think-tank bolstered their bowling attack with three overseas quickies Nortje, Rabada and Daniel Sams. Getting lucky at the toss and opting to bowl first, the Delhi pace battery along with spinners R Ashwin (1 for 18) and Axar Patel kept the Bangalore batsmen under pressure. Apart from Devdutt Padikkal (41-ball 50) and AB de Villiers (21-ball 35), none of the batsmen made an impression as Bangalore could muster only 152/7.

Contrary to a sedated approach from Bangalore batters, Delhi’s two off-colour openers Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw showed aggression. The pair banged two boundaries apiece in the first nine deliveries. But Mohammed Siraj ended Shaw’s (9) stay with a zipper.

Dhawan and Rahane kept finding boundaries to put pressure on the bowlers. Delhi dashed to 53/1 after the first power play.

Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli deployed his trump card Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar in tandem but the Delhi pair nailed all the posers thrown at them.

Dhawan, after two consecutive ducks, brought up his 50. But Bangalore made a breakthrough. Dhawan was snared by spinner Shahbaz Ahmed. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer walked in with 46 more needed from 44 balls. Rahane also reached his 50. But Iyer (7) got out while trying to hit Ahmed into the stands and Sundar picked Rahane. But Marcus Stoinis and Rishabh Pant kept their cool to get to the target in 19 overs.

Earlier, Delhi bowlers dictated terms. They allowed only two boundaries from the first four overs. Opener Josh Philippe (17-ball 12) got out mistiming Rabada’s length ball. Kohli joined Padikkal but runs were hard to come as Patel and Ashwin bowled tight spells. Kohli, on 13, was dropped by Nortje but the skipper (24-ball 29) was felled by Ashwin. The dismissal also ended Padikkal-Kohli 57-run stand.

Padikkal adapted to the conditions and kept rotating strikes with De Villiers. The Keralite raised his 50 from 40 balls – his third in Abu Dhabi. But Nortje returned to dismiss Padikkal and Chris Morris (0) in an over. From 112/4 after 16 overs, De Villiers and Shivam Dube lifted the scoring rate with a couple of fours and sixes. But Rabada ended Dube’s 11-ball 17 cameo to reclaim the purple cap. In the last over, De Villiers (21-ball 35) was run out and Nortje snared his third victim Isuru Udana (4) as Bangalore failed in the final flourish.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

Scoreboard

Royal Challengers Bangalore

J Philippe c Shaw b Rabada 12

D Padikkal b Nortje 50

V Kohli c Stoinis b Ashwin 29

AB de Villiers run out (Rahane/Pant) 35

C Morris c Pant b Nortje 0

S Dube c Rahane b Rabada 17

W Sundar not out 0

I Udana c Iyer b Nortje 4

S Ahmed not out 1

Extras (b1, w3) 4

Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 152

Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Philippe, 4.1 ov), 2-82 (Kohli, 12.3 ov), 3-112 (Padikkal, 15.4 ov), 4-112 (Morris, 15.6 ov), 5-145 (Dube, 18.6 ov), 6-146 (de Villiers, 19.2 ov), 7-150 (Udana, 19.4 ov)

Bowling: D Sams 4-0-40-0; R Ashwin 4-0-18-1; A Nortje 3.6-0-33-3; K Rabada 4-0-30-2; AR Patel 4-0-30-0

Delhi Capitals

P Shaw b M Siraj 9

S Dhawan c Dube b Shahbaz Ahmed 54

A Rahane c Dube b W Sundar 60

S Iyer c M Siraj b Sz Ahmed 7

R Pant not out 8

M Stoinis not out 10

Extras (lb3, w3) 6

Total (4 wkts, 19 overs) 154

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Shaw, 1.5 ov), 2-107 (Dhawan, 12.4 ov), 3-130 (Iyer, 16.2 ov), 4-136 (Rahane, 17.2 ov)

Bowling: C Morris 2-0-19-0; M Siraj 3-0-29-1; W Sundar 4-0-24-1; I Udana 2-0-24-0; Y Chahal 4-0-29-0; S Ahmed 4-0-26-2

• IPL 2024