Apr 10, 2025, 12:04 PM ET

First three overs: 53 runs, Last two overs: 36 runs, 15 overs in between: 74 runs.

In what was a bizarre innings, Delhi Capitals (DC) restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 163 for 7 in their second away match in IPL 2025. But, for a while, it seemed the narrative would be a lot different.

Sent into bat, Phil Salt had just one agenda on mind: to send every ball he faced out of the stadium. He wreaked havoc in the first three overs smashing four fours and three sixes as he finished with 37 off just 17 balls.

The highlight of his knock was laying into Mitchell Starc. Salt smoked him for three fours and two sixes in the third over of the innings, which went for 30 in all as RCB crossed the 50 mark in three overs. This was RCB’s second-quickest team fifty of all time.

But then it all went downhill.

Salt flat-batted Axar Patel to extra cover and set off. Virat Kohli also took a few steps down before backtracking and Salt, who slipped mid pitch, was run out. RCB, who had scored 53 runs in the first three overs, added just 11 in the next three with Mukesh Kumar also slipping in a wicket-maiden.

Vipraj Nigam was smashed for six over long-on by Kohli, but the legspinner came back in style. He kept tossing the ball up and Kohli’s attempted inside-out shot ended up in the hands of Starc who took a good catch running to his left from long-off.

The middle overs belonged to DC through and through. Kuldeep Yadav was relentless with his lengths and also got the wickets of Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar as he finished with 2 for 17 off his four overs. Nigam was also frugal as he picked 2 for 18 in his four overs.

That RCB reached 163 was down to Tim David‘s late bash where he smashed four sixes and two fours in the last two overs to finish unbeaten on 37 of 20 balls.