A big blow hit Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) immediately before the IPL 2025 playoffs: An injury to their all-rounder Tim David in their last League match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday. The injury occurred on the field while stopping a shot from Ishan Kishan. David made the stop but signaled for assistance and walked off the field in pain.
After the injury, David forcibly came onto the crease after Jitesh Sharma’s dismissal in the 17th over, though very unstable with his running, he ended up caught fieldsmen. His short stay hardly helped RCB, as the increasingly required runs piled up.
David’s injury, once again, is a cause for concern for RCB heading into the Playoffs. It was a huge blow for them this season when he scored 186 runs off 96 balls and really hit hard during the end of innings.
RCB missed the chance to finish in the top two after this defeat to SRH by 42 runs, with an Ishan Kishan special performance scoring 94 off 48 balls. This loss has put RCB in third place with 17 points, behind the Gujarat Titans and tied with the Punjab Kings but with an inferior run rate.
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In the chase of 232, RCB began with an 80-run prosperity when Phil Salt joined Virat Kohli at the crease in seven overs. Kohli was in the groove, hammering bowlers from all around. Unfortunately, things started to turn for the worse when Kohli was dismissed by the spinner, Harsh Dubey.
Salt continued to score at a good pace, reaching fifty off 27 balls and then cramps set in, slowing him down with a dismissal soon after. That was the beginning of the collapse for RCB’s chase. Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma quick 44 runs for the fourth wicket notwithstanding, a mix-up saw Patidar run out. RCB then collapsed for just 60 more runs, losing seven wickets, as Jitesh and the injured David departed in quick succession, ending their innings at 189.
Cummins and Malinga executed well with the ball for a convincing win for SRH. Now it looks grim for RCB. Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi are out due to international matches for the playoffs, and Jhoss Hazlewood may not be fit to play due to a shoulder injury. David’s injury only adds to the woes of an already stretched squad.
