STATS HIGHLIGHTS
Follow UsAn unbeaten 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket between KS Bharat and Glenn Maxwell propelled the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a seven-wicket win against the Delhi Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium. After being asked to bat first, the opening partnership of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw stitched a vital 88-run stand for the first wicket before the southpaw was dismissed off a slower delivery for a well-compiled 43. Despite his wicket at the halfway mark, Delhi continued to forge valuable partnerships in the middle overs and post a fighting total of 165 for the loss of five wickets in their quota of 20 overs. Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers for RCB and returned with figures of 2/25 in his four-over spell.
In reply, the Bangalore outfit were jolted early in the innings as they lost Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal with 6 runs on the board. However, a crucial 49-run stand between AB de Villiers and Bharat steadied the innings. Despite the wicket of de Villiers, Bharat kept the scoreboard ticking along with Maxwell. En route their match-winning partnership of 111* runs, Bharat smashed his maiden IPL fifty (78* off 52), and Maxwell recorded his sixth half-century of the season (51* off 33) to guide RCB over the line. Here are some of the notable stats from the game.
Openers set the foundation
In the final league match of this edition of the Indian Premier League, Dhawan and Shaw forged a crucial 88-run partnership for the first wicket. The duo laid a solid foundation for the innings by scoring 43 and 48, respectively. En route this stand, they recorded the second-highest opening partnership for the Capitals against RCB. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag's 90 off 42 deliveries in the 2009 edition is at the top of the table.
Shikhar Dhawan breaches the 2k mark for DC
One of the most consistent performers for the Capitals in this edition of the IPL, Dhawan achieved yet another milestone in this high voltage clash. The southpaw became the fourth player to score 2000 runs for the Capitals and breached the 2k mark in 61 innings. Rishabh Pant is the leading run-scorer of the side with 2441 runs in 82 innings, followed by Shreyas Iyer's 2344 runs.
Capitals dismantle RCB in the powerplay
In pursuit of 165 runs for the win, RCB endured a horrendous start to their run chase as they lost the openers, Padikkal and Kohli, early in the innings. While the southpaw was dismissed for a golden duck, the skipper was undone on the first ball of the third over as he tried to attack Anrich Nortje. The South African fast bowler dented the RCB batting unit with two quick wickets inside the powerplay. With runs hard to score courtesy of disciplined bowling, de Villiers and Bharat managed to reach a total of 29/2 in the first six overs, making it their second-lowest total against the Capitals. In the 2009 edition, RCB endured a tough time with the bat and scored 27/1 in the powerplay at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, which is their lowest score.
Maxwell's sublime season continues
With 498 runs in 13 innings, Maxwell has been one of the standout performers for the RCB in this edition of the tournament. The 32-year old scored 51* off 33 deliveries studded with eight boundaries to help Bangalore register a commanding win. Maxwell's unbeaten half-century was the sixth of the season, making him the second-joint scorer for the most 50+ runs by a non-opening batter in a season. Kane Williamson and de Villiers lead the table with seven half-centuries in the year 2018 and 2016, respectively.
A century of wins for RCB
A masterclass by Bharat and a valuable half-century from Maxwell powered the RCB to a comprehensive seven-wicket win in the last league match of the IPL. The victory also propelled the Virat Kohli-led side to 100 wins in the tournament, making them the fourth team to achieve this milestone. Mumbai Indians are at the top of the table with 127 wins in 217 matches, followed by Chennai Super Kings with 115 wins.
