IPL 2023: Philip Salt gives RCB wounds after Virat Kohli show at Kotla

the time RCB ended on 181 for 4, it was already getting clear that it was not far from a par score as the pitch didn’t play as sluggish as it was expected. It once again led the focus to a mid-innings slowdown from Virat Kohli and RCB. With dew affecting the spinners, Salt ensured Delhi Capitals cruised in the chase with more than three overs to spare.
Salt’s assault
Among the many, a major crisis for the Delhi Capitals this season had been a string of poor starts leading to implosions of the batting order. On Saturday however, chasing 182 on the dry and slow patch at Kotla, the DC openers went offensive against a fairly successful RCB bowling attack from the word go. Adding 60 runs in the first five overs, David Warner and Phil Salt had managed to give the home side a hefty advantage on a ground where they’d only won once in their previous four outings.

Phil Salt is on song tonight 👊
He reaches his 5️⃣0️⃣ and also bring up the 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for @DelhiCapitals 👏#DC require 80 runs in 66 balls
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/8WjagffEQP #TATAIPL | #DCvRCB pic.twitter.com/o0YYWlAnPN
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2023
Even though a miscued shot from Warner would lead to his demise off the very next over, Salt continued the counter attack. ”Ek wicket ki baat hai,” Dinesh Karthik could be heard on the stump mic as he tried to boost the morale of his bowlers. The one wicket they wanted the most came too late as the English opener acquired 87 off 45 deliveries – his second fifty in the last three games – leaving only 11 runs required to seal the deal.
Laced with eight fours and six boundary clearers, Salt’s innings was constructed on the solid foundation of back foot shots as was the case when Delhi last played at Kotla.
Kohli captivates Kotla
Seven red and black shirts stood in unison at the traffic light opposing the Delhi Gate metro station. A sea of the same followed as one started moving closer to the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday eve. All of them numbered 18 with the RCB crest above. It was a Virat Kohli show around the national capital, though concerns would pers if he could have done a lot more after settling in.

Yet another 5️⃣0️⃣ for @imVkohli 🙌
The #RCB batter continues his fine form 👌
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/8WjagffEQP #TATAIPL | #DCvRCB pic.twitter.com/w3w0nF2xoL
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2023
Coming out to bat from the pavilion named after him to a ground shaking ovation from his home crowd, and with the backdrop of the ‘Kohli! Kohli!’ chants, the former RCB skipper displayed a wide range of shots during what was his sixth fifty-plus knock of the season. None more so spectacular than the two boundaries he measured off Ishant Sharma. The latter had managed to almost run Kohli out, taking the pace off with the hide-behind knuckle ball.
Next up, he went short to which Kohli replied with a stand-still pull as the ball raced to boundary square on the on side. Another shot that caught the eye was Kohli’s trademark loft on the rise through the deep cover boundary for four later in the innings off Ishant. Just the faintest of walks down the track before the picturesque lift of the bat.
Against Delhi’s spinners, Kohli negated his recent vulnerabilities to left arm spin, with a more open stance. With Kuldeep Yadav coming around the wicket, he quickly shuffled across the middle stump to flick one square on the on side to beat closely stationed deep square leg and deep mid-wicket fielders.

Khaleel Ahmed with the safe hands 🙌
Mukesh Kumar with the BIG wicket of Virat Kohli 👌#RCB are 166/3 with two overs to go
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/8WjagffEQP #TATAIPL | #DCvRCB pic.twitter.com/zzkCtXUVHw
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2023
Axar Patel had outfoxed him in his first over with the drift, as the ball fizzed just past the outside edge. Not much later, Kohli would make room outside the leg stump to caress the ball in between the fielder at point and short third for four to bring up 7000 runs in the league. The first to do so.
Mahipal Lom-roars
After Faf du Plessis fell, followed a first ball dismissal of Glenn Maxwell, it was Mahipal Lomror who took the aggressor’s initiative with Kohli anchoring the innings at the other end.
The southpaw started off picking Kuldeep Yadav apart for two maximums and a four before taking the attack to Mitch Marsh and Mukesh Kumar to keep up with a strike rate hovering around 200.

Maiden #TATAIPL 5️⃣0️⃣ for Mahipal Lomror 👏
An important contribution to steer #RCB to a competitive total 👌
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/8WjagffEQP #DCvRCB pic.twitter.com/FJ6xQM0nSZ
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 6, 2023
With RCB’s designated finisher, Dinesh Karthik once again finding it tough to execute in death overs, Lomror took his share of chances. Ishant Sharma’s outside off stump plan was dealt with a slash and a cut for two fours.
The slightest of errors from Delhi’s bowling attack were punished. Mukesh Kumar had made it evident with just the one fielder at the boundary on the off side that he wanted to keep the ball on the middle and leg. Just the slightest width on the off was punished with a fierce slash, bringing his first ever IPL fifty as RCB moved to 181, though it would not prove sufficient.