IPL 2023: Virat Kohli, Vyshak Vijaykumar star in RCB’s 23-run win as DC lose five in a row

Royal Challengers Bangalore returned to winning ways as they defeated an uninspired Delhi Capitals by 23 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday. David Warner and Co suffered their fifth loss in a row and are yet to register a win in the IPL 2023.

The RCB batting effort wasn’t the greatest, as the wasted a great start provided by Virat Kohli, who scored another half century.

But defending 175 on a pitch that slowed down, especially in a day-game, RCB got just the start they needed as Mohammed Siraj and Wayne Parnell set the tempo with the new ball. With impact player Prithvi Shaw run out for a duck, the pressure was on the returning Mitchell Marsh. However, he too was dismissed for a duck by Parnell. Yash Dhull was dismissed by Siraj for 1. Within 2.2 overs, DC were reduced to 2/3.

Skipper David Warner, who hasn’t been hitting the ball as well as he would like, seemed like he was getting his rhythm back. However, that sight did not last long either as debutant Vijaykumar Vyshak sent him packing for 19 in the sixth over.

Although Manish Pandey’s 38-ball 50 seemed to aid the recovery for DC, it did not prove to be enough.

Vyshak bowled a memorable spell where he also took the wicket off an almost set Axar Patel (21) and Lalit Yadav. He was well aided by Siraj and Harshal Patel who cleaned the lower-order up.

Wanindu Hasaranga, playing his first game for RCB in the season, had an expensive outing (1/37) but got the wicket of Pandey. Eventually, RCB’s bowlers defended the total by restricting Delhi to 151/9.

Earlier in the match, Kuldeep Yadav had successfully led the charge in the middle overs as DC spinners held Royal Challengers Bangalore to 174 for six. A fluent-looking Kohli hit his third fifty of the tournament, and Glenn Maxwell (24 off 14 balls) was in a six-hitting zone for RCB. However, in the middle overs, the DC spin combination of Kuldeep (2/23), Axar Patel (1/25) and Lalit Yadav (1/29) took control.

RCB had gotten off to a great start in the first few overs with Kohli looking in great touch. Despite Faf du Plessis’ dismissal for 22 in the fifth over, RCB appeared to be in a comfortable position at 89/1 at the halfway stage.

Marsh (2/18) bowled a great over, dismissing both Faf and Mahipal Lomror (26) and DC successfully pulled it back. RCB were further reduced to 132/6 thanks to Kuldeep’s fantastic over where he took the wickets of Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik (0) off successive deliveries. Shahbaz Ahmed (20 off 12) tried to muster a fight but had little help from impact player Anuj Rawat (15 off 22) who struggled to get going on the pitch. But eventually, RCB’s proved enough against a struggling DC batting lineup.