NEW DELHI: How often do we see a home crowd cheering for the opposition? But that’s exactly what unfolded at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. The roar was deafening when Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to field against Delhi Capitals. The crowd erupted, cheering at the top of their lungs — and it was all for one man, their beloved local hero, Virat Kohli.
Kohli (51 off 47) didn’t disappoint, anchoring the chase with a composed half-century, while Krunal Pandya’s majestic knock (73 not out off 47) powered RCB to a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals, propelling them to the top of the points table.
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Just a couple of months ago, the scenes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium were completely different during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways, which featured Kohli. Fans wrapped in thick jackets, mufflers, and woollen caps braved the biting cold, hands tucked into pockets, just for a glimpse of the action.
This time, it was the opposite.
Sweat-soaked, clutching water bottles, wiping their faces with handkerchiefs, sporting hats and sunglasses, Delhiites battled the scorching heat — all for the chance to see their superstar Kohli in action. 35000 fans flocked inside the stadium to watch Kohli in action.
Every time Kohli moved to collect the ball, sprinted for a single, or struck a boundary, the stadium echoed with chants of “Kohli, Kohli.”
Virat with the anchor role
Kohli played the perfect anchor, constantly walking up to Krunal Pandya for quick chats, offering fist pumps, and shouting words of encouragement from the other end. His energy never dipped as he guided the partnership forward.
Krunal built his innings patiently. After his superb effort with the ball, he assessed the conditions smartly, waited for loose deliveries, and made sure to dispatch them to the boundary ropes whenever they came his way.
Krunal reached his half-century off 38 balls, bringing it up with a boundary off Axar Patel. Kohli, all smiles, rushed forward to hug him in celebration of a brilliant effort.
Bought by RCB for Rs 5.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, Krunal scored 73 not out off 47 balls and was involved in a 119-run partnership with Kohli.
Kohli, meanwhile, brought up his own half-century off 45 balls — his slowest fifty of the IPL 2025 season. The previous slowest was Vijay Shankar’s 43-ball half-century against Delhi Capitals in Chennai. He scored 51 off 47 balls before being dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera.
Krunal-Suyash tightened the noose
RCB spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya may not have picked up many wickets, but they played a crucial role in keeping the Delhi Capitals batters in check and controlling the flow of runs.
It was Krunal who got under Faf du Plessis’s skin, building pressure and eventually claiming the prized wicket. Krunal finished with tidy figures of 4-0-28-1 and didn’t allow KL Rahul to hit a single boundary during his spell.
At the other end, Suyash shared the responsibility brilliantly, conceding just two boundaries in his four overs. He ended with figures of 4-0-22-0, with an impressive economy rate of 5.50.
Axar’s two-in-two
RCB’s chase never really got going the way they had hoped. They lost three wickets for just 26 runs in the first four overs, leaving Virat Kohli visibly frustrated at the other end.
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Jacob Bethell (12), Devdutt Padikkal (0), and Rajat Patidar (6) all fell cheaply. Axar Patel did the early damage, removing Bethell and then castling Padikkal for a duck in the same over to leave RCB reeling.
However, what really infuriated Kohli was Patidar’s dismissal. After Kohli flicked one towards mid-wicket, Patidar set off for a single but hesitated midway as the fielder released a sharp throw. A direct hit from Karun Nair caught Patidar short of his crease, leading to a run-out that left Kohli visibly furious at the way Patidar threw his wicket away.
Faf back but failed
After missing five matches due to a groin injury, Faf du Plessis returned to open the innings for Delhi Capitals. However, the move didn’t work in their favour. The 40-year-old managed just 22 runs off 26 balls before falling to Krunal Pandya.
In all, this was Delhi Capitals’ fifth different opening combination this season — the most by any team. Chennai Super Kings, in comparison, have tried four opening pairs so far.
