Abu Dhabi: In a key IPL clash on Monday, riding on Devdutt Padikkal's half-century Royal Challengers Bangalore set a moderate 153 runs target for Delhi Capitals here at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. DC pacers Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada bowled brilliantly today. While Nortje took three wickets, Rabada finished with two. They were supported ably by Ravichandran Ashwin, who took the prized scalp of Virat Kohli and conceded merely 18 runs in four overs
Put in to bat, RCB got off to a slow start from opening batsmen Josh Phillippe (12 off 17) and Padikkal (50 off 41). In the fifth over, they lost 23-year-old Phillippe off the bowling of Kagiso Rabada.
Captain Virat Kohli and Padikkal then added 57 runs for the second wicket. But the promising partnership was broken when Kohli went for an expensive shot off Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling in the 13th over and was brilliantly caught by Marcus Stoinis at mid-on.
Padikkal, who scored 50 off 41 balls with the help of five boundaries, fell soon as Anrich Nortje rattled his stumps in the fourth ball of the 16th over. In a span of a delivery, Morris was dismissed by his compatriot Nortje. Fall of three quick wickets left RCB reeling at 112 for 4 in 16 overs.
However, AB de Villiers (35 off 21) and Shivam Dube's cameo (17 off 11) helped RCB post 152 for 7 in 20 overs.
In the 20th over, only RCB could score only seven runs as they lost the wickets of de Villiers and Isuru Udana. Nortje was the highest wicket-taker in the match as he took three wickets giving away 33 runs in four overs. Rabada regained the Purple Cap for finishing on top of the wicket-takers' list with 25 scalps in IPL 2020.
