Rajat Patidar, captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, didn’t hold back after his team’s second defeat in five matches in the 2025 Indian Premier League. Speaking after the game on Thursday, Patidar expressed his frustration over a crucial middle-order collapse that saw RCB fall from a strong 61/1 to a troubling 90/4.
“We have not batted well. Batters are in a good frame of mind; they have shown nice intent. 60 for one and then 90 for four, that is not acceptable,” Patidar said during the post-match presentation.
RCB had started confidently, losing their first wicket in the fourth over when Phil Salt was run out. But what followed was a dramatic downfall, with key players like Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Liam Livingstone dismissed by the 10th over. As the innings wore on, batting only became more challenging.
“We thought it would be a nice batting track. We were lacking in assessing the conditions and the situation,” Rajat Patidar added, acknowledging a misjudgment in reading the pitch and match dynamics.
Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam played their roles to perfection, tightening the screws on the Bengaluru batters. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals were powered by an imperious knock from KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 93 and guided his team to victory with 13 balls to spare.
Despite Bengaluru’s slump, Tim David provided a late spark, managing a few big hits in the final overs to push the total beyond 160. His effort was vital in giving RCB a fighting chance, and Patidar acknowledged it.
“The way David accelerated at the end, it was amazing. The powerplay, the way the (RCB) fast bowlers bowled, it was really special (reducing DC to 30/3),” Patidar noted, highlighting the team’s early efforts with the ball.
Bengaluru finished their innings at 163/7, a score that looked below par on the Chinnaswamy surface. Though Delhi had a minor wobble early in their chase, losing three wickets for just 30 runs, KL Rahul anchored the innings with a masterclass of control and power.
Player of the match Rahul smashed 93 off just 53 deliveries, including seven fours and six sixes. His 111-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs, who remained unbeaten on 38, sealed Delhi’s fourth consecutive win and left Bengaluru searching for answers yet again.
