The IPL 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) turned into a shortened 14-overs-a-side game after rain disrupted play in Bengaluru on Friday. Once conditions cleared, RCB skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl first.
However, RCB’s innings started poorly. Opener Phil Salt departed early, scoring only 4 runs on the fourth ball of the first over. Things didn’t improve from there.
Rajat Patidar walked in and tried to build a partnership with Virat Kohli. But Arshdeep Singh dismissed Kohli for just 1 run in the third over. At that point, RCB had slumped to 21/2 in just 2.4 overs. Patidar, despite showing some resistance, couldn’t anchor the innings. He lost his wicket in the eighth over after scoring 23 runs off 18 balls.
From there, the collapse continued. Only Tim David showed some fight, remaining not out with a steady 50. RCB struggled to 95/9 in their 14 overs.
Patidar slams RCB’s batting performance
In the post-match ceremony, Rajat Patidar didn’t hide his frustration. He openly criticised his teammates for the lack of partnerships and blamed the batters for the disappointing defeat.
“Initially it was sticking, and was two-paced. But I think we could have done far better as a batting unit. Partnerships are important in batting. We have been losing wickets in intervals,” said Patidar, visibly upset.
Only Patidar and David managed to score in double digits. The rest of the batting order collapsed: Salt (4), Kohli (1), Livingstone (4), Jitesh Sharma (2), Krunal Pandya (1), Manoj Bhandage (1), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (8), and Yash Dayal (0) all fell cheaply.
PBKS chase target comfortably
Punjab Kings didn’t face much trouble while chasing the modest target of 96. They reached 98/5 in just 12.1 overs and sealed a five-wicket win. Nehal Wadhera played a key role in the chase. He stayed unbeaten with a quick 33 off 19 balls and finished the game with a six.
Hazlewood’s effort in vain
Josh Hazlewood gave RCB a glimmer of hope with a fiery spell. He bowled three overs, took three wickets, and gave away only 14 runs. However, his efforts couldn’t prevent the defeat.
Standings after the match
After this match, RCB sits in fourth place on the IPL 2025 points table with four wins and three losses. PBKS, on the other hand, has climbed to second place with five wins and two defeats.
