On Thursday, Rajat Patidar, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, shared his frustration after his team’s batting fell apart during their latest match. He pointed out that going from a solid position of 61 runs with just one wicket down to 90 for 4 is just not good enough. This marked their second defeat in five games during IPL 2025.
The spinners from the Delhi Capitals, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, were particularly effective, making things tough for Bengaluru. Meanwhile, KL Rahul was in fine form, scoring an impressive 93 runs without getting out, as he helped his team continue their impressive run by finishing the game with 13 balls to spare, leaving Bengaluru feeling pretty battered.
Things started to go wrong for Bengaluru when Phil Salt was run out in the fourth over with the score at 61 for 1. From there, it was a downward spiral. By the end of the 10th over, prominent players like Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Liam Livingstone had all been dismissed, and batting became a real challenge for the team. Patidar didn’t hold back his disappointment, saying, “We haven’t batted well. The batters have the right mindset and shown good intent. But falling from 60 for 1 to 90 for 4 is just not acceptable. He also commented on the track they were playing on, saying they expected it to be ideal for batting, but they struggled to read the conditions properly.
As the innings progressed, Bengaluru found themselves in a tough spot at 125 for 7 in the 18th over. Tim David stepped up and did what he does best, hitting a few massive shots to help the team reach a total of 163 runs, which felt like a decent score under the circumstances, even though it was likely not enough on the Chinnaswamy pitch. Patidar praised David’s performance towards the end of the innings, saying, “The way David picked up the pace was fantastic. In the powerplay, the (RCB) fast bowlers were exceptional, reducing Delhi to 30 for 3.
After Bengaluru posted 163 for 7, the Delhi Capitals just needed to keep it straightforward to win, but it seemed that common sense was tough to find among their batters that night. KL Rahul was the standout player, showing why he was named the player of the match. He scored 93 runs from 53 balls, including seven fours and six sixes, and he formed a critical partnership of 111 runs for the fourth wicket with Tristan Stubbs, who ended on 38 not out. This victory marked Delhi’s fourth win in a row with a final score of 169 for 4. Rahul, who got a bit lucky when Patidar dropped him early on, handled the spins and pace from the bowlers with a smart approach.
Looking ahead, RCB is set to face off against the Rajasthan Royals next on Sunday, April 13, in Jaipur. It’s a must-win match for them to bounce back from this tough loss.
