IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore trump Delhi Capitals by 1 run in high-scoring thriller

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by a solitary run in an IPL 2021 game that went right down to the wire on Tuesday (April 27). DC entered the final over needing 14 runs. That they managed to stay in the game till then was down largely to Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indian batsman has been poor so far this season but showed what he is capable of at Ahmedabad. He scored a quickfire half-century (53* off 25 balls) and almost single-handedly rescued DC from the brink.

Yet, in a cruel twist of irony, he barely got the strike in the final over. And while Rishabh Pant struck two fours off the final two balls, it wasn’t enough. DC needed 10 off 2 balls; they only got 8. And RCB can celebrate being on top of the IPL 2021 table again.

It could have been so different for Delhi. Their bowlers did a good job and only an AB de Villiers special gave RCB a fighting chance.

DC’s openers, normally so reliable, had a rare off day. Shikhar Dhawan (6) fell cheaply courtesy of Yuzvendra Chahal. His partner Prithvi Shaw (21) edged one to AB de Villiers off Harshal Patel.

To make matters worse, Steve Smith (4) also fell cheaply thanks to some excellent bowling from Mohammed Siraj. Siraj got the ball to move in the air and Smith edged it to De Villiers.

Thanks to the top-order collapse, Rishabh Pant had to play a more circumspect role in proceedings. He held down one end as Marcus Stoinis went for his shots.

The Aussie all-rounder looked in good touch but could not make it count. Harshal got him to nick one behind and De Villiers did the rest.

Now at 92-4, DC looked lost. However, Hetmyer rediscovered his form at exactly the right time for the Capitals. His effortless hitting made the daunting equation seem like a walk in the park.

And were it not for Siraj’s excellent last over, Hetmyer’s late surge might well have been enough to get Delhi over the line.

ABD continues strong IPL 2021 showing

Earlier, De Villiers’ blitzkreig 75* powered RCB to a respectable 171-5 in the first innings after they were put in to bat first.

De Villiers may be 37 but he bats with the abandon of a man half his age. It helps that he remains as fit as ever and that his cricketing instincts are still sharp.

He needed to pull RCB out of a sticky situation yet again, however. RCB started well but lost both openers Virat Kohli (12) and Devdutt Padikkal (17) in successive balls.

The double loss instantly slowed their momentum and RCB ended the powerplay at 36-2, hardly an ideal score at the time.

Glenn Maxwell (25) and Rajat Patidar (31) did well to steady the ship but were on slightly shaky ground at 139-5 in 18 overs.

Maxwell looked likely to score big again but fell trying to smash Amit Mishra down the ground. He couldn’t generate the required power on the shot and picked out Steve Smith at long-on.

Patidar smacked two sixes during his time at the crease but holed out to Smith off Axar Patel.

De Villiers targetted Marcus Stoinus, who surprisingly was called on only in the final over of the innings. If it was a strategic move to save the all-rounder for then, it backfired spectacularly.

ABD took 23 runs off him, smacking him for 3 sixes to ensure RCB finished strong.