RCB captain Virat Kohli
Royal Challengers Banglore captain Virat Kohli feels that with the "fearless" batting order Delhi Capitals own, they are definitely a "team to beat", if not calling them unbeatable. Kohli's comment came after RCB's yet second big defeat this season, this time by against the Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Monday.
Delhi had gotten off to a good start, courtesy a 23-ball 42 from young Prithvi Shaw that guided them to a wicketless score in the powerplays for the second consecutive time this season. RCB, however, pulled things back with wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer before Marcus Stoinis and Rishabh Pant stitched an 89-run stand off 42 balls with the Aussie scoring a blitzkrieg fifty. Delhi ended with 194 for four.
"They (Delhi) are playing some good cricket. Their batting line up is fearless, they have a good balance in the side, their bowling line up is pretty good too and they will be hard to beat, I wouldn't say unbeatable but they are a tough side to beat. Against such sides we have to bring our A-game and top intensity which I don't think we did tonight," said Kohli after the 59-run loss.
In the chase, RCB were folded for just 137 runs for the loss of nine wickets with only Kohli providing some resistance to the Delhi attack with his knock of 43 runs.
"The conversation around chasing is always to have a big partnership, with the dew setting in had we kept 7-8 wickets at the end of 10 overs, the game would have been on. Same thing happened against Kings XI. I am pretty sure once we get a big partnership in we should be able to see these important situations through," Kohli added.
The win helped Delhi soar to the top of the points table with four wins from five games.
