While picking his bowlers for a special mention, winning Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Shreyas Iyer said on Monday that they knew what to do against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a virtual quarter-final of the Indian Premier League (IPL). DC beat RCB by six wickets to qualify for the playoffs.
“We knew it was a do-or-die and an opportunity for us to get to the second spot. We were really motivated. The teams winning in the latter half completely changed the scenario of the table and it was really commendable. Really happy with how the tournament has gone so far,” Iyer said after the game.
“The bowlers were really up with their plans and they knew what they had to execute. [Anrich] Nortje was really good and it worked out pretty well. Kudos to the way the bowlers bowled. We are one of the best teams in the tournament and we need to stick to the basics and if we try and execute our plans, the results will come,” he said.
Fast bowler Nortje bagged three wickets for 22 while his fellow South African speedster Kagiso Rabada took two for 30.
Monday’s win guarantees DC two shots at entering the final, the first of which will be against Mumbai in Qualifier 1 on November 5 in Dubai. Even if they lose this game, they would get another opportunity to qualify for the November 10 final.
Batsman Ajinkya Rahane, the top scorer for DC with a 46-ball 60, said he was keen to finish the game.
“Ricky [Ponting, the coach] told me that I am going to bat at number three. It’s a good position to bat at. Our bowlers did really well for us. I enjoyed the partnership with Shikhar. The communication between us was all about intent. We weren’t thinking about any target. It was all about playing proper cricketing shots,” he said.
“I wanted to finish the game. We all know how funny the sport is. We’ve seen how things have happened in this IPL; feels great to win in the end,” said the right-hander.
RCB asked to bat, scored 152 for seven wickets in 20 overs, and DC made 154 for four wickets in 19 overs.
