IPL 2026: KL Rahul reveals 'Virat Kohli, Phil Salt weren't happy' after DC's win over RCB

Delhi Capitals’ stand-in skipper KL Rahul shed light on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s visible frustration after DC pulled off a tense chase at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, courtesy of a late onslaught from David Miller.

Rahul, who anchored the innings with a composed half-century, revealed that both Virat Kohli and Phil Salt appeared uncomfortable with the pitch conditions early in the game.

"I could see Virat and Phil Salt weren't happy with the way the ball was coming on. Us losing three wickets in the first six overs didn't make it easy for us. So yeah, all in all, it was a really good cricket game. After losing three quick wickets, the conversation was to continue playing good cricket shots and see how we could find boundaries while still putting pressure on the bowlers," Rahul said after the match.

Taking over captaincy duties in the absence of Axar Patel, who was sidelined due to cramps, Rahul navigated DC through early trouble after losing three wickets in the powerplay. He emphasized that the key was to stay positive despite setbacks.

“We didn’t want to go into our shell. If the run rate keeps climbing, it gets harder towards the end. The plan was to keep playing our shots and find boundaries while building pressure,” he explained.

Rahul also pointed out that there was some assistance for bowlers, including hints of reverse swing, making the chase far from straightforward against an experienced RCB attack.

“We knew they had quality death bowlers, so we didn’t want to take it too deep. But at the same time, we believed in staying in the moment,” he added.

The match eventually went down to the final over, with DC needing 15 runs. Despite early control from Romario Shepherd, Miller turned the game on its head with two towering sixes, sealing a memorable win.

Rahul expressed complete faith in his finishers, particularly Tristan Stubbs and Miller.

“There was full faith in Stubbs and Miller. They do this regularly in international and franchise cricket. We knew the last two overs would be a gamble for RCB, and that gave us a chance. We knew that Romario Shepherd or maybe Suyash Sharma would bowl, which gave our batters a good chance to hit a couple of sixes,” Rahul concluded.

Match Summary: RCB vs DC

Delhi Capitals pulled off a thrilling six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with KL Rahul leading the charge in a tricky chase of 176. DC were rocked early at 18/3 inside three overs, courtesy of a brilliant spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, Rahul steadied the innings with a composed 57 off 34 balls, anchoring the chase under pressure.