Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) locked horns with the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 28th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won against the Rajasthan Royals by 9 wickets on Sunday, April 13, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
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It was really amazing – Rajat Patidar
Opting to bowl first in the match, the RCB bowlers did a decent job and restricted RR to 173/4 in 20 overs. Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged one wicket each for RCB.
Chasing the target, Phil Salt (65 off 33) and Virat Kohli (62* off 45) took Royal Challengers Bengaluru off to a great start before Devdutt Padikkal (40* off 28) chipped in with a good contribution as they completed the run-chase in a 17.3 overs.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar said that his bowlers did a special job in the powerplay overs. He said:
“It was really amazing. The way the bowlers executed their plans, it’s nice to see. (Target in mind?) I don’t think so. The way we bowled in the powerplay, that was really special. The wicket wasn’t easy to bat. We were targeting 150-170.”
I get my confidence from my bowlers – Rajat Patidar
Rajat Patidar further said that the RCB bowling unit makes his job a lot easier as they possess the ability to bowl in any conditions. He said:
“I get my confidence from my bowlers. They are ready to bowl at any surface and at any stage, that’s amazing and gives a lot of confidence for me.”
While talking about Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar said that he enjoyed the batting of the duo and showered rich praise on them. He stated:
“(On Salt) I really enjoyed his batting from the dug-out. The way he was striking and at the same time VK rotating the strike, it was really special. We always look to play positive and good cricket.”
How did RCB perform in the previous IPL match against RR?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who made a fairytale comeback in IPL 2024, ended their campaign in heartbreak as they lost the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets.
Batting first, RCB posted a below-par total of 172/8 on the board. The RCB innings had several promising moments, with Virat Kohli (33), Rajat Patidar (34), and Mahipal Lomror (32) all getting starts. However, none could convert them into a big score.
In the middle overs, the RCB batters struggled against the bowling unit of RR, and they were unable to accelerate the innings at the right time, which could have helped him breach the 190-run mark in the high-octane match.
With the ball, RCB tried their best to stop Rajasthan Royals from chasing down the target. Mohammed Siraj delivered a great spell, picking up two key wickets, while Lockie Ferguson, Karn Sharma, and Cameron Green chipped in with one wicket each.
The RCB bowlers struggled to contain RR’s top order, and despite late wickets, they couldn’t apply enough pressure, allowing RR to complete the run-chase in the 19th over.
