Stubbs and Miller Finish the Job as DC Edge RCB in a Classic

Two points, momentum, and their finisher’s confidence back. Stubbs did the heavy lifting, but Miller closed it — exactly what you pay overseas pros for. For RCB: Second loss of IPL 2026, and first at home. Chinnaswamy is a fortress, and DC just breached it. With the Patidar vs spin battle and Rahul’s legspin issues already on their plate, now the death bowling gets questions too. For Miller: Narrative reset. “Turned down the tie vs GT” was becoming a thing. He just killed it. Big players remember their scars and respond. It came to DC needing 15 off the final over bowled by Romario Shepherd, who was bowling his first of the game. Miller had missed out on the first ball - a hittable delivery on leg stump that cost RCB just one run - and Tristan Stubbs also managed only a single next ball, leaving DC needing 13 off four balls. Miller completed his redemption arc with 6, 6, 4 off the next three balls to stun the Chinnaswamy into silence. Kohli’s intent: Second ball edge didn’t quiet him. On a “slower-than-usual” deck he walked at Mukesh to manufacture pace. Two crisp fours over cover said “I’m not letting this pitch dictate”. Vintage Kohli powerplay mindset. Ngidi’s counter: Saw Kohli coming. No one on the off-side ring, one man deep. Went wide, took pace off, let Kohli hit it where the fielder was. Smart, simple, and it worked. That’s game awareness in over 6. Salt’s role: Gave Kohli license. While Virat was dancing, Salt was clearing the infield too. RCB were “quick off the blocks” even though the ball wasn’t coming on. In comparison, Salt had managed just 13 off his first 13 balls, but turned up the tempo when he took Nabi for 4, 6, 4 in the fifth over. When he cracked Kuldeep Yadav over wide long-off for six, he brought up his half-century off 30 balls. Salt hit Kuldeep for another six before the left-arm wristspinner pushed one away from Salt's swinging arc and had the batter holing out to wide long-off this time for 63 off 38 balls. The slowness in the surface also played a part in Salt's dismissal. The dismissal: Krunal’s 103kph dart Rahul was lining up Suyash — SR 101 vs legspin was the pre-game note, but he was attacking him here. Saw Krunal and charged, expecting turn. Got a flat 103kph yorker-length dart instead. No turn, no room, holed out. 57 off 34, 11th over. Job half-done, set the platform. Stubbs’ half of the job Came in at 50/3. Watched Rahul tee off, then took over once Rahul fell. “Contrasting half-centuries” is right — Rahul was powerplay dominance, Stubbs was middle-overs calculation + death overs finish. Between them, they absorbed RCB’s early blows and gave Miller a chase to close. Narrative check: We said RCB should bowl Suyash early to Rahul. They went Krunal in 11th and got him. Plans work, but only if Rahul doesn’t do 22 off 10 to your best quick first. The first six came off a full toss, which was swatted into the second tier over midwicket. Shepherd then served up a wide half-volley and Miller biffed him over extra-cover for six more. On the next ball, Miller sealed the win with a flicked four to the midwicket fence off a full toss. Delhi Capitals 179 for 4 (Stubbs 60*, Rahul 57, Bhuvneshwar 3-26) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 175 for 8 (Salt 63, Axar 2-18, Kuldeep 2-32) by six wickets