IPL 2023 - Live Report: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi

Kohli scored his 50th half-century tonight, making 55 runs in all. But he took 46 deliveries. On ESPNcricinfo's T20 Time Out show, Tom Moody said the Impact Player rule now means batters have to be more aggressive. After their defeat, RCB captain Faf du Plessis has said that dew played a factor and conditions changed between the two innings.

We'll leave you with this chat to wrap up tonight's encounter. See you tomorrow for more double-header action.

Salt can't finish the game off, out to Karn Sharma. Loses his off stump while going onto the back foot but walks back on a 45-ball 87. When the opportunities tonight presented themselves, he capitalised, really climbing into any poor ball that RCB's bowlers offered.

It will also perhaps bring some questions around how RCB batted. Should others have batted like Lomror? Did Kohli miss a trick? Plenty to think about but for now, Capitals stay alive in IPL 2023, spoil Kohli's homecoming, and seal their fourth win in five games. Sealed with a Rossouw six, who finishes on 35 in just 22 balls. Capitals win by seven wickets

If there's any saving grace for Harshal, it is that the over would've gone for 21 had Prabhudessai not misfielded off the over's final delivery. Before that, Rilee Rossouw pumped Harshal for two sixes and Salt struck him for one.

Capitals need 32 in 42 balls with RCB struggling to respond appropriately.

In his last five innings, Salt has either gone hit or bust. Ducks in three games, 1 in another, but 59 against Sunrisers at home, followed by a half-century tonight as well. Brings up his fifty in 28 balls and then hammers Lomror for a six. Capitals 113/1 in 9.4 overs

If RCB lose from here with Salt going so rapidly, their net run rate will take a big hit.

Best IPL 2023 powerplay for Delhi Capitals. Worst IPL 2023 powerplay for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Maxwell in the powerplay to stymie Warner's intent, but Salt punches it as Big Show misses his length a wee bit

Delhi showing intent and going against the trend this year of sluggish starts induced by early wickets. Hazlewood stands tall and stalls the flow, as Salt can't get it past a driving Virat. A timely swivel with strong bottom hands sends the last ball for a six

Mukesh, in his bid to stick to the script that delivered against Virat, faces off against a rampant Lomror and a struggling DK, and commendably gives just 7 off the 19th over.

Khaleel swayed off the script a bit and old hand DK pounced the first time round, but in the all important final over, it's Khaleel who has the last laugh as DK hits out at long off and Warner is safe as a bank as always

Anuj smacks it for a 69 m six as Khaleel's lower full toss gets deposited. Khaleel bounces back well and tbh, RCB would be the more disappointed dugout.

Its the counter-punch that RCB desperately needed after FdP and Maxwell fell off consecutive deliveries.

After Kohli's dismissal for a 46-ball 55, Lomror has been aggressive against Ishant too. A total of 14 off the 17th over and RCB are 151 for 3 in 17 overs. They could get still get 200 from here if runs come from both ends. Onus on Dinesh Karthik to pull out a late flourish that he is so famous for.

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Kohli mistimes Marsh down the ground but he won't mind on this particular occasion. He's all smiles jogging to the other end for his 50th IPL fifty, to go along with his five centuries. He now has three fifties in his last five IPL innings.

Kohli got his fifty in 42 balls. Fifth gear now? Lomror's already racing ahead with 29 in 15 as of now. RCB 126 for 2 in 15 overs

Lomror's hammered one four and two sixes off Kuldeep, ensuring RCB's momentum does not get sucked out after those two wickets in two balls. The Forecaster now suggests 175 with that Lomror boost through the middle overs and RCB are 115 for 2 in 14 overs. Kuldeep finishes with 0-37.

He's started off well, with a six off Kuldeep Yadav by rocking back and pulling. RCB will want more from the left-hand batter Mahipal Lomror who has been in the IPL for a long time now. RCB are craving for someone beyond their top three to be consistent and today he has been given the opportunity. It may be because his strike-rate against spin (160) is so much better than his pace SR (96). Few more overs of Kuldeep and Axar remain.

After this, we'll likely see Jadhav. Or DK. Or Rawat. All three are padded up and can be seen getting instructions from coach Sanjay Bangar. RCB 97/2 in 12.1 overs

Those change-ups got him lot of reward against SRH. Tonight as well he succeeds by getting du Plessis to mis-time a short of length ball outside off. With Kohli showing more traits of anchoring than Faf tonight, it made sense for the RCB captain to be the aggressor with ten wickets still left. He falls for a 32-ball 45, delivering another solid knock.

However, before Faf can even sit down, RCB have lost Maxwell for a golden duck too. He tries to cut Marsh from too close to his body and RCB have slid from 82/0 to 82/2. Marsh extracted some extra bounce which surprised Maxwell. One end has now been exposed, with the struggling RCB middle order batters to follow here on. How Kohli approaches the game now will be worth watching.

RCB 83/2 in 11 overs with ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster suggesting a total of 162. Might be enough on this pitch with some good bowling, but RCB would want more after that start.

Ideally DC would've liked to bowl spin to Glenn Maxwell, but Warner has gone with Kuldeep-Axar for the openers.

The Capitals are desperate for a wicket, and Axar comes close getting du Plessis, but once the batter survives, he punishes the bowler by hammering him straight down. du Plessis now has 500+ runs this season, and is playing spin well. His highest tally is 633 in 2021. Kohli, too, started well against Kuldeep, tucking his first ball for four.

The hosts' best chance of a wicket now is still spin as Kuldeep returns to deliver the tenth. RCB 76/0 in 9.3 overs

Faf du Plessis is showing why he's the IPL's orange cap holder even though he has one innings less this season. Smacks Khaleel in his second over to maximise the last few balls of the powerplay, all with orthodox shots. RCB 51/0 in six overs with du Plessis 29 (16) and Kohli 22 (20).

Kohli's strike-rate of 109 against spin in IPL 2023 has been a matter for concern for him. Capitals will go to spin soon, but before that Mitchell Marsh will have a bowl in the seventh. He took a four-for at this ground against SRH before his illness and is mixing his change-ups well.

Three overs from Khaleel, Axar and Ishant kept RCB's run-flow in check for four overs. But the inexperienced Mukesh Kumar doesn't provide the same result. Faf du Plessis makes up for lost time (Kohli had most of the strike early on) by kicking on against Mukesh. Two boundaries down the ground, one lucky one over the keeper, and both batters have their eye in.

Khaleel is brought back after that first over. RCB 36/0 in five overs

Kohli has started his innings with solid intent, even taking on Axar Patel in his very first over. A boundary off Axar has also taken him to 7000 IPL runs. Shikhar Dhawan is No. 2 on that list, with David Warner at No. 3.

Kohli also starts strongly against Ishant Sharma. Awesome swivel on that pull to the boundary off a short ball. Very Ponting-esque, that execution. RCB 18/0 in 2.4 over

Homecomings are special. Because you get to meet people you haven't met in a while. Wholesome moment with Mr. Rajkumar Sharma meeting his student on the field. Even Anuj Rawat was coached by Sharma.

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1. Kohli @ home: Virat also has an excellent record in Delhi, where he has amassed the third-most runs at an IPL venue and has five 50+ scores in nine innings. He needs 12 runs for 7000 IPL runs in IPL and will be the first batter to do that.

2. Kuldeep's spell: Maxwell hits him at a strike-rate of 170 but the spinner has also dismissed him 4 times. He is DC's highest wicket-taker and also enjoys bowling to DK.

3. RCB's top-three overreliance: Kohli, du Plessis and Maxwell have contributed 75% of the team's runs. Among the other RCB batters, only once has 30+ been breached.

4. Ishant's bowling: He produced a POTM performance against Gujarat Titans, and against RCB lies another chance for him to show that wasn't a one-off. Him bowling well plugs many gaps for the side that will not have Nortje tonight.

*Insert Eye of the Tiger tune*

Kedar Jadhav is back. He was holding a microphone last week. Willey's injury has given him a fresh chapter in the IPL. Quite the story. He is in because RCB want someone in the middle order (apart from Maxwell) to be consistent. Jadhav's experience on this kind of surface will be useful with RCB choosing to bat first.

Mukesh Kumar and Mitchell Marsh are back for the Capitals, the latter's return being a big boost. He was ill the other night.

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With need of minimum 8 victories to qualify for the playoff Delhi Capitals need to win all the upcoming matches with a healthy run rate.

RCB won 5 out of their first 9 games. They need 3 wins out of their next 5 games and also need to maintain a good NRR.

Tonight dew might play a role in the second innings. Chasing side has won three out of four games here in IPL 2023.