Tristan Stubbs walked into a crisis at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday night. Just as well, because he enjoyed the best seat in the house as KL Rahul put on a masterclass in the art of chasing, using his knowledge of the conditions at the venue to produce one of the more spectacular efforts of IPL 2025.

Delhi Capitals were floundering at 58 for four, undone by the lack of pace in the usually batting-friendly Chinnaswamy strip, chasing Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s challenging 163 for seven. Time wasn’t their ally — they had 68 deliveries to knock off the remaining 106 runs — but then they had the local lad, who seems totally at ease batting anywhere in the order. Rahul, batting at No. 4, shifted gears like only he can, pummeling the ball out of sight with a fabulous unbeaten 93 which, allied with his unbroken 111-run partnership with Stubbs, helped the Capitals maintain their all-win record while consigning RCB to a second successive home defeat, by six wickets.