IPL 2021: De Villiers, Bowlers Help Bangalore Beat Delhi By 1 Run

AB De Villiers' unbeaten 75 and disciplined bowling helped Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) pull off a 1 run heist against Delhi Capitals(DC) in the 22nd match of IPL 2021. 

Brief Score: Royal Challengers Bangalore - 171/5 (AB de Villiers - 75*; Rajat Patidar - 31) & Delhi Capitals - 170/4 (Rishabh Pant - 58*, Shimron Hetmyer - 53*)

IPL 2021, Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 22nd Match

Chasing a target of 172, DC didn't have a great start to the run-chase as they lost two wickets inside the powerplay and scored 43 runs. Shikhar Dhawan got out scoring just six while Steve Smith made four before edging the ball to the keeper. 

Prithvi Shaw was hitting the ball well while at the crease and scored 21 runs but failed to convert his start to a big inning. 

Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis added 45 runs for the fourth wicket to get Delhi back into the game. Stoinis scored 22 off 17 balls with the help of three fours. 

Pant was joined by Shimron Hetmyer when DC still needed 78 in less than eight overs. While Pant was struggling to time the ball well, Hetmyer started to play the aggressor and within no time reached his fifty in just 23 balls. 

Hetmyer smacked four sixes and two fours during his innings. Pant scored a struggling fifty in 46 balls but it didn't help his team cross the line. 

Earlier, Delhi sent in Bangalore to bat first. RCB didn't start well as they lost its openers - Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal - cheaply. Bangalore could only score 36 in the powerplay. 

Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar added 30 from 26 balls before the former got out scoring 25. Patidar continued to rotate the strike when AB de Villiers joined him at the crease. They both added 54 for the fourth wicket. Rajat scored 31 from 22 before getting out trying to hit a six over long-on. 

de Villiers in the last few overs turned on his beast mode in the death overs and in the process entered the 5000 run club of IPL. He smashed 23 runs off Marcus Stoinis in the final over of the innings to take RCB to 171/5 in the first innings. 

After this win, RCB has jumped back to the top spot in the IPL points table while Delhi slipped to the third position.