It's not easy being Tristan Stubbs. He is Delhi Capitals' (DC) designated finisher and has the unenviable task of attacking bowlers from almost the get-go at the death. But if early wickets fall, he is also expected to bring his technical nous into play and nudge the ball around, trying to pull the team out of a hole.
On Saturday in Bengaluru, Stubbs was tasked with not only taking his team to safety after DC lost three in the powerplay, but also had a target to chase down. He aced it.
DC were in a heap of trouble when Stubbs came in to bat. Any momentum they had, having restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 175, was wrested away by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In a searing powerplay spell, he wrecked the DC top order and reduced them to 18 for 3 by the third over.
In walked Stubbs. This was just his fifth time batting inside the powerplay in the IPL and was his earliest arrival at the crease for DC in 33 games. The home crowd, largely subdued during RCB's innings, had rediscovered its voice, "Bhuvi, Bhuvi" chants rang around the stadium. Virat Kohli, stationed at gully, seemed pumped up and had a few words for Stubbs. The RCB fielders closed in. Bhuvneshwar bowled an outswinger, similar to the one that had found the outside edge of Sameer Rizvi's blade the previous ball. So what did Stubbs do? He stayed still, watched the ball closely, and opening the face of the bat late, unleashed a sublime on-the-up drive through the covers for four. A hush fell over the ground.
Stubbs didn't find a single boundary for the next 20 balls. At the other end, KL Rahul was taking on the RCB bowlers but Stubbs was happy to play the waiting game.
"I wasn't quite ready in the changing room," he said after the game. "Through the middle there, the way he [Rahul] batted was magnificent. He really kept us going. And we spoke before as a team to bat in partnerships. So I thought, he's going well, so just give him the strike."
Stubbs produced a masterclass in pacing a chase. He was on 19 off 21 at one point but never let panic set in. This wasn't the easiest of Chinnaswamy surfaces, with the ball staying a "little bit slow, a little bit low" as Stubbs later said. His plan was clear: absorb, assess, build partnerships and take the game deep.
Aaron Finch and Ambati Rayudu on KL Rahul's matchwinning half-century against RCB
Stubbs added 69 runs off 44 balls with Rahul and then had a 47-run stand with Axar Patel, and was happy to play second fiddle both times. During his 47-ball unbeaten innings, he took 26 singles and six twos, ensuring he wasn't stuck at one end for long stretches. It was not until Axar retired hurt that Stubbs took charge. He waited for RCB to bowl out their main bowlers, even if it meant that the required rate had soared past 12 an over for the last three overs. In the 18th over, he smashed Bhuvneshwar for a pull over deep midwicket before thumping Rasikh Salam down the ground to reach his fifty off 41 balls.
With 15 needed off the final over and the frontline bowlers done, David Miller lined up Romario Shepherd to finish what had eluded him against Gujarat Titans. Stubbs ended with 60 off 47 balls, maintaining a control percentage of 93.6, the best for any batter who played more than ten balls.
"I kept thinking three sixes and we're straight back in it," Stubbs said on the thought process when DC needed 37 off 18. "They bowled their guns out quite early. So then I always thought, worst case, the last over we can get whatever we need. I didn't want to take it to the last over, but thankfully we got over the line."
This game was eerily similar to DC's first match of the season, against Lucknow Super Giants. Then, chasing 142, DC found themselves at 26 for 4 in the fifth over. Stubbs, batting at No. 6, was again the glue binding the middle order together alongside Rizvi, with the two putting on an unbroken 119-run stand for the fifth wicket to take DC home.
Stubbs is having a stellar 2026. He began the year by leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a third SA20 title, his 41-ball 63 not out helping the team seal the final in what was another tricky chase. At the T20 World Cup, Stubbs scored 135 runs in six innings, averaging 67.50. He has batted in 18 T20 innings this year and has remained unbeaten in 13 of those, having scored 478 runs at an average of 95.60.
At the IPL, Stubbs has taken over the finisher's role brilliantly. In his debut season with DC in 2024, he had scored 223 runs in the death [17 to 20] at a strike rate of 297.33, the best for any batter who had played more than 50 balls there. In 2025, he struck at 201.47 and this season he has had a major role in two out of three of DC's wins.
Before this game, out of the 99 instances of teams having lost three or more wickets in the powerplay while chasing targets between 170 and 220 in the IPL, only 11 had resulted in wins (in non-reduced games). Finisher Stubbs ensured DC added a 12th to this list, which not only broke a two-game losing streak but also ensured the season isn't getting away from DC early.