[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: How often do we see a home crowd cheering for the opposition? But that’s exactly what unfolded at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. The roar was deafening when Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to field against Delhi Capitals. The crowd erupted, cheering at the top of their lungs — and it was all for one man, their beloved local hero, Virat Kohli.
Kohli (51 off 47) didn’t disappoint, anchoring the chase with a composed half-century, while Krunal Pandya’s majestic knock (73 not out off 47) powered RCB to a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals, propelling them to the top of the points table.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Just a couple of months ago, the scenes at the Arun Jaitley Stadium were completely different during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways, which featured Kohli. Fans wrapped in thick jackets, mufflers, and woollen caps braved the biting cold, hands tucked into pockets, just for a glimpse of the action.
This time, it was the opposite.
Sweat-soaked, clutching water bottles, wiping their faces with handkerchiefs, sporting hats and sunglasses, Delhiites battled the scorching heat — all for the chance to see their superstar Kohli in action. 35000 fans flocked inside the stadium to watch Kohli in action.
Every time Kohli moved to collect the ball, sprinted for a single, or struck a boundary, the stadium echoed with chants of “Kohli, Kohli.”
Virat with the anchor role
Kohli played the perfect anchor, constantly walking up to Krunal Pandya for quick chats, offering fist pumps, and shouting words of encouragement from the other end. His energy never dipped as he guided the partnership forward.
Krunal built his innings patiently. After his superb effort with the ball, he assessed the conditions smartly, waited for loose deliveries, and made sure to dispatch them to the boundary ropes whenever they came his way.
Krunal reached his half-century off 38 balls, bringing it up with a boundary off Axar Patel. Kohli, all smiles, rushed forward to hug him in celebration of a brilliant effort.
Bought by RCB for Rs 5.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, Krunal scored 73 not out off 47 balls and was involved in a 119-run partnership with Kohli.
Kohli, meanwhile, brought up his own half-century off 45 balls — his slowest fifty of the IPL 2025 season. The previous slowest was Vijay Shankar’s 43-ball half-century against Delhi Capitals in Chennai. He scored 51 off 47 balls before being dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera.
Krunal-Suyash tightened the noose
RCB spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya may not have picked up many wickets, but they played a crucial role in keeping the Delhi Capitals batters in check and controlling the flow of runs.
It was Krunal who got under Faf du Plessis’s skin, building pressure and eventually claiming the prized wicket. Krunal finished with tidy figures of 4-0-28-1 and didn’t allow KL Rahul to hit a single boundary during his spell.
At the other end, Suyash shared the responsibility brilliantly, conceding just two boundaries in his four overs. He ended with figures of 4-0-22-0, with an impressive economy rate of 5.50.
Axar’s two-in-two
RCB’s chase never really got going the way they had hoped. They lost three wickets for just 26 runs in the first four overs, leaving Virat Kohli visibly frustrated at the other end.
Poll
Do you believe the crowd’s support for Kohli impacted the game?
Jacob Bethell (12), Devdutt Padikkal (0), and Rajat Patidar (6) all fell cheaply. Axar Patel did the early damage, removing Bethell and then castling Padikkal for a duck in the same over to leave RCB reeling.
However, what really infuriated Kohli was Patidar’s dismissal. After Kohli flicked one towards mid-wicket, Patidar set off for a single but hesitated midway as the fielder released a sharp throw. A direct hit from Karun Nair caught Patidar short of his crease, leading to a run-out that left Kohli visibly furious at the way Patidar threw his wicket away.
Faf back but failed
After missing five matches due to a groin injury, Faf du Plessis returned to open the innings for Delhi Capitals. However, the move didn’t work in their favour. The 40-year-old managed just 22 runs off 26 balls before falling to Krunal Pandya.
In all, this was Delhi Capitals’ fifth different opening combination this season — the most by any team. Chennai Super Kings, in comparison, have tried four opening pairs so far.
[ad_2]
Source link
About the author
Designing Thug Life: Amritha Ram on Styling Kamal Haasan
Costume design in Indian cinema often dances between fantasy and realism. But in Thug Life, Amritha Ram collaborates with cinematic icons Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam to craft a fashion-forward yet character-driven wardrobe that breaks norms. In an exclusive with ETimes, Amritha reveals how meticulous planning, storytelling, and visual language drove her designs. Tip 1: Collaboration Is the Key to Vision When asked what excited her most about working on Thug Life, Amritha simply said, “Two names: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam.” The sheer reputation of these legends shaped her approach. Mani Ratnam was clear about the film’s visual tone—stripping away Bollywood glamor for something minimalistic yet powerful. “Mani sir guided me all the way. He knew exactly what he wanted,” she shared. Working with Kamal, who understands fabric, dyeing, and even costume history, was a learning curve. His feedback […]
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News
[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote
[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News
[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |
[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order
[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]
Related
Designing Thug Life: Amritha Ram on Styling Kamal Haasan
Costume design in Indian cinema often dances between fantasy and realism. But in Thug Life, Amritha Ram collaborates with cinematic icons Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam to craft a fashion-forward yet character-driven wardrobe that breaks norms. In an exclusive with ETimes, Amritha reveals how meticulous planning, storytelling, and visual language drove her designs. Tip 1: Collaboration Is the Key to Vision When asked what excited her most about working on Thug Life, Amritha simply said, “Two names: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam.” The sheer reputation of these legends shaped her approach. Mani Ratnam was clear about the film’s visual tone—stripping away Bollywood glamor for something minimalistic yet powerful. “Mani sir guided me all the way. He knew exactly what he wanted,” she shared. Working with Kamal, who understands fabric, dyeing, and even costume history, was a learning curve. His feedback […]
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News
[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote
[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News
[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |
[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order
[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]
Be the first to leave a comment