Barring Tim David and Rajat Patidar, it was a poor batting performance from Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings in their IPL 2025 match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Friday. Getting an invitation to bat first, RCB could post only 95 for 9 in 14 overs. Tim David scored 50 not out off 26 balls while Patidar scored 23 off 18. Rest all the RCB batters scored in siingle digits as the side ended by losing the game by 5 wickets. It was a tough pitch to bat on and RCB batters’ extra-aggressive approach backfired. They ended up posting a total that failed to trouble PBKS.
What made it look worse for RCB was the fact that even a veteran and reliable batter like Virat Kohli got out while going for a big shot, without even the much-needed respect to the conditions.
Former India player Mohammad Kaif criticised the RCB batters, including Kohli, for their shot selection that saw them losing their wickets in the game.
“84 deliveries in an innings means that there is time. The shot that Virat Kohli hit, stepping forward, trying to strike a six, he usually does not do all of this. If it was a 20-over game, Kohli would have looked to punch that ball, I can tell you that with guarantee,” Kaif told Star Sports.
“That was a ball meant to be punched through point. But because it was a 14-over game, there was the temptation to play a much more attacking brand of cricket. The pitch was damp, the ball was stopping a bit. This was a pitch where he should have taken five or six balls to have a look in. Not only Kohli, but the other batters as well. So, he should have spent some time in the middle, 14 overs is a lot, he must have thought it was a six-over game,” he added.
PBKS produced an inch-perfect bowling effort, the cornerstone of their five-wicket victory over RCB in a truncated match.
Tim David scored well over fifty per cent of RCB’s woefully inadequate 95 for nine after an evening round of rain forced the match to start at 9.45 pm in a 14 overs per side avatar.
Punjab Kings had to go through mild scares initially but went past the line in 12.1 overs with a score of 98 for five, also prolonging RCB’s wait for their first win at home this season.
(With PTI Inputs)
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