IPL 2022: Hazelwood’s 3/28; Karthik, Maxwell fifties help Royal Challengers beat Delhi Capitals by 16 runs 

Mumbai: Josh Hazlewood claimed 3/28 after Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell set the platform with attacking half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Delhi Capitals by 16 runs in Match 27 of IPL 2022 here on Saturday.

Hazlewood bowled with superb control and prised out three middle-order wickets to restrict Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium here. He got good support from Mohammed Siraj (2/31) and Wanindu Hasaranga, who removed the dangerous David Warner (66) as Delhi Capitals could manage only 173/7 in 20 overs, chasing RCB’s 189/5 build on attacking half-centuries by Dinesh Karthik (66 not out) and Glenn Maxwell (55).

Skipper Rishabh Pant (34 off 17 balls) tried to rally the middle and lower order but none of them stayed long enough to support him — Virat Kohli plucked off a superb one-handed catch off a mistimed hit — as Capitals fell short eventually, slumping to their third defeat in five matches.

With this win, the Royal Challengers moved up to eighth points from six matches, the same as Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants but were placed third with a lower net run rate.

David Warner had raised hopes of Delhi Capitals, successfully chasing the target of 190 as he struck his 52nd half-century in the Indian Premier League. He and Prithvi Shaw had given the innings a blazing start, raising 50 runs in the fifth over before the Mumbai batter got out, caught by Anuj Rawat off Siraj, mistiming an attempted slog on leg-side.

Warner continued in the same fashion, hitting some brilliant shots all around the ground. He completed his fifty off 30 deliveries and was looking good for a big one when he was trapped lbw by Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and Delhi Capitals slumped to 94/2 in the 12th over.

Pant tried to continue the good work, hitting 34 off 17 deliveries with three fours and two sixes. But Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav and Mitchell Marsh failed to contribute much as Delhi Capitals lost their way. With 45 needed off the last three overs, it was too much for the likes of Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav to pull off.

Earlier, RCB could manage only 40/2 in the powerplay but it soon became 40/3 as Virat Kohli departed two balls into the seventh over when Lalit Yadav caught the former India captain short of his crease with a brilliant throw, falling over. That spelled trouble for RCB as openers Anuj Rawat (0) and skipper Faf du Plessis (8) were back in the dugout with the score reading 13.

Maxwell continued to resurrect the innings on his way to a 30-ball half-century, severely punishing Kuldeep Yadav in his first over, hammering the spinner for 23 runs that included two fours and two sixes, going on to complete his half-century off 30 balls.

However, Kuldeep Yadav had the last laugh eventually as he got the rampaging Australian out, caught by Lalit Yadav at long-on as Maxwell tried to hit a delivery that dipped a little and got the toe-end of the bat.

Though losing Maxwell at that juncture looked like a setback for RCB but Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed ensured they reached a defendable total in the end.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 189/5 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 55, Dinesh Karthik 66 not out, Shahbaz Ahmed 32 not out; Shardul Thakur 1/27) beat Delhi Capitals 173/7 in 20 overs (David Warner 66, Rishabh Pant 34; Josh Hazlewood 3/28, Mohammed Siraj 2/31). (IANS)