Pandya answers RCB's call as tables turn in Delhi

IPL 2025 Pandya answers RCB's call as tables turn in Delhi Gokul Gopal Share Tweet

Pandya's counterattack and RCB's depth turned the tide against Delhi Capitals ©BCCI/IPL

"We'll feel right at home," RCB's spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan said, when asked about the dimensions of the Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of the DC vs RCB clash. With its short boundaries, it was little surprise that the Kotla recorded the highest average first-innings total (235) among all venues last season, while RCB's home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, ranked fourth with an average of 197 among venues that hosted at least five matches. This season, though, batting hasn't been just about all-out aggression, and the return fixtures between DC and RCB are a testament to that.

The DC-RCB clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was effectively a role reversal of what had transpired in Bengaluru earlier this month.

Back then, it wasn't an easy wicket, with Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam combining to restrict RCB to 163. DC stumbled to 30/3 in the chase, but a composed 93* off 53 balls from KL Rahul, along with his 111-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (38* off 23), steered them home comfortably. On Sunday (April 27), it was RCB's turn to return the favour, holding DC to 162 courtesy of frugal spells from Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, while the pacers chipped away regularly. RCB also slipped to 26/3 in their chase, but Pandya, playing a role similar to Rahul's earlier, crafted a superb 73 off 47 balls. His 119-run stand with Virat Kohli (51 off 47) sealed an eight-wicket win in 18.3 overs, extending RCB's flawless away record in 2025.

Batting against spin proved especially difficult on a dry wicket, with batters from both sides having to show application, pace their innings and pick the bowlers to target. Looking at the combined numbers of both teams against spin in this game, only 107 runs were scored off the 103 deliveries bowled by the slow bowlers. There were only five fours and two sixes scored off the spinners, but the effective take-down of pace is where RCB excelled while the majority of the DC batters failed to do so.

Both teams posted similar numbers against spin - RCB scored 57 off 55 balls at a strike rate of 103.64, while DC managed 50 off 48 at 104.16. The difference, however, came against pace. DC collected 108 runs off 73 balls at a strike rate of 147.94, but RCB were far more dominant, hammering 104 runs off just 58 balls at an impressive strike rate of 179.31. And it was Pandya's batting - both against pace and spin - that made life easier for RCB despite their early struggles. The left-hander got as many as 44 runs off 24 balls against the quick bowlers, striking at 183.33. But he was also busy against the spinners, scoring 29 off 23 at 126.08, even hitting two fours and a six off them.

Pandya picked 1 for 28 ©IPL

Pandya powered RCB's counter punch after a stuttering first half in the chase. They had managed only 64 runs by the halfway mark, with Kohli crawling to 28 at nearly a run-a-ball and Pandya scratching around for 17 off 21. But once the pacers returned in the middle overs, Pandya shifted gears swiftly. A whip over midwicket off Dushmantha Chameera in the 11th over gave him his first six, before he pulled and lofted Mukesh Kumar for two more maximums in the 13th. He didn't spare the spinners either, launching Kuldeep Yadav inside-out for a six and sweeping Axar Patel for a four to bring up a 38-ball half-century.

Kohli played the supporting role as Pandya kept RCB's chase on track, with the left-hander adding two more boundaries off Mukesh and one off Chameera to bring the target down to 17 off the last two overs. Tim David then applied the finishing touches with a six and three fours off Mukesh, wrapping up the chase with nine balls to spare. But it was Pandya's innings, and the timing of his counter attack, that proved the real game-changer for RCB.

"Krunal did a great job going in just to break a bit of that momentum for us and build a partnership with Virat, which he did brilliantly. And then it was good to see him go through the gears as well and get us closer to the score. Obviously, we had a lot of firepower left in the pavilion. So, Tim David going in and a few other people to come still. So, once we got past the midway point, we were confident that we were back in the game," Mo Bobat, RCB's director of cricket, said at the post-match press conference.

"One of the things we wanted to do at the auction was make sure that we had batting depth. So, it goes back all the way to our recruitment. We wanted to make sure that we had contributions all the way down to seven, eight in our batting order. And I think we've done that through most of the season so far. Today was Krunal's opportunity and he took it really well," said Bobat.

Kohli, in his chat with the broadcaster, spoke about the tough conditions and acknowledged Pandya's crucial role in RCB's win. "It was a top win, especially looking at the surface. We saw a few games here and I think this wicket played very differently to the other games. It was a top win, we were under pressure, 3 for 26, and then me and Krunal getting a 100-run partnership. He was outstanding today with the bat. He can make that impact and we were just waiting for him to come into the tournament with the bat as well. And today was his day completely, he was absolutely brilliant."

The RCB batting line-up had the luxury of depth with the likes of David, Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd waiting in the wings. But Pandya ensured they weren't needed for the most part, rising to the occasion with a timely reminder of his value.

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