• Stubbs steers Delhi Capitals to victory

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    Tristan Stubbs helped the Delhi Capitals beat the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets on Thursday to maintain their winning streak in the IPL.

    Stubbs chipped in with 38* off 23 balls and shared a 111-run partnership with KL Rahul, who hit six sixes and seven fours in his scintillating 53-ball 93*, as Delhi overhauled RCB’s 163-7 with 13 balls to spare at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

    The Capitals now sit second in the table while the Royal Challengers are third in the 10-team competition.

    RCB’s bowlers picked some early wickets but ran into the in-form Rahul who batted with composure and ease.

    Delhi had a wobbly start, losing openers Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk cheaply with just 10 runs on the board.

    Captain Axar Patel tried to steady the innings but holed out to Tim David off impact sub Suyash Sharma for 15.

    Stubbs said the win was “really satisfying”.

    “I came in a tricky situation, but the run-rate never got out of hand,” he said. “I did not need to do much – KL played the way he did.”

    Earlier, Bengaluru were off to a flier, with openers Virat Kohli and Phil Salt taking the attack to the opposition.

    The duo smashed 30 runs in the third over off Mitchell Starc before guiding RCB to the fastest team 50 of the season.

    The batting assault ended when Salt (37) was run out after a mix-up and Kohli (22) lobbed a catch to Starc who dived forward to take a fine catch at long-off.

    Salt hit three sixes and four fours in his 17-ball knock.

    The hosts lost regular wickets after the twin setbacks, with Delhi left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav picking two, including the scalp of captain Rajat Patidar for 25.

    The Capitals provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 20-ball 37, studded with four sixes and two fours.

    Patidar conceded his team did not bat well despite showing “nice intent”.

    “We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation. But the way David accelerated at the end, it was really amazing,” he said.

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: AFP via Getty Images

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    Simon Borchardt