Royal Challengers Bangalore kept their IPL playoff hopes alive with a five-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils on Saturday.

Electing to bowl first, Virat Kohli’s RCB restricted Daredevils to 181-4 before the skipper himself along with AB de Villiers made light work of the chase at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Here, we look at the key talking points from Bangalore’s critical win.

CHAHAL ROCKS DELHI’S OPENERS

Prithvi Shaw has been handing the Daredevils some explosive starts ever since he was introduced into the playing XI. The India U19 World Cup winning captain however, was unable to carry on his good form on Saturday as Kohli turned to leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to open the bowling.

Chahal had gone wicket-less in the side’s last three games but he gave them the perfect start with the double scalps of Shaw and Jason Roy. Both the openers had their woodwork shattered by the India man after they failed to pick his googly.

IN-FORM PANT FIGHTS BACK WITH ANOTHER FIFTY

At 16-2, Royal Challengers had the hosts right where they wanted them to be. They however hadn’t accounted for Rishabh Pant. The youngster carried on from where left off against Sunrisers Hyderabad as he followed up his unbeaten century with an equally entertaining fifty.

The left-hander was once again extremely lethal with his on-side play as he smashed his way to a fifth fifty-plus score in this year’s IPL. The 20-year-old hit four huge sixes and five boundaries in a 34-ball knock which fetched 61 runs. His 93-run stand with skipper Shreyas Iyer for the third wicket got Delhi back into the game.

KOHLI AND DE VILLIERS MAKE IT LOOK EASY

For the second match in a row, the Daredevils saw the opposition surmount a huge total with ease while chasing. If it was Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson for the Sunrisers last time, it was Kohli and De Villiers who made chasing look effortlessly easy on Saturday.

After both Bangalore openers fell early, the two star batsmen took charge for the visitors in style. Kohli showed no after effect of any illness on his return to his hometown as he smashed his way to a 34th IPL fifty before being dismissed by Amit Mishra.

At the other end, De Villiers remained unbeaten on 72 as he finished the job for the visitors with a six with an entire over to spare.