Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul power Delhi Capitals to statement win over RCB

Chasing 164, Delhi shrugged off early stumbles to seal the deal with 13 balls to spare - thanks to a match-defining, unbeaten 111-run stand between Stubbs and Rahul. Stubbs played the finisher role to perfection with a calm 38 not out off 23, while Rahul unleashed a masterclass: 93 not out off just 53, peppered with six sixes and seven fours.

With that performance, the Capitals leapfrogged into second place on the IPL table, while RCB, now in third, will be rethinking how they let this one slip after a promising start.

Things didn't start well for Delhi. Openers Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk were both back in the hut with just 10 on the board, and when captain Axar Patel fell for 15 after skying one to Tim David, it looked like RCB had a real chance.

Enter Stubbs and Rahul. Calm, clinical, and completely in control, the pair rebuilt without panic and then pressed the accelerator at just the right time. Stubbs later summed it up perfectly:

"I came in a tricky situation, but the run-rate never got out of hand. I didn't need to do much - KL played the way he did."

Earlier, RCB looked set to post a daunting total. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt came out swinging, plundering 30 runs off a single Mitchell Starc over and racing to the fastest team 50 of the tournament so far.

Salt looked particularly dangerous, smashing 37 off 17 with three sixes and four fours before a mix-up led to his run-out. Kohli followed soon after, mistiming one straight to Starc at long-off. From there, the innings lost steam.

Delhi's spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, took full advantage. The left-arm wrist-spinner bagged two scalps, including the key wicket of RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who fell for 25.

RCB found some late fireworks courtesy of David, who belted an unbeaten 37 off 20 to give the innings a final push. But even Patidar admitted it wasn't enough:

"We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation. But the way David accelerated at the end, it was really amazing."

Delhi look like serious title contenders now, with a batting lineup that can absorb early pressure and still chase down targets with swagger. As for RCB, they'll need to regroup quickly if they want to keep pace in this ultra-competitive 10-team league.