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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made an early statement on the opening day of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The three-time finalists defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22.
Bengaluru were in their element right from the outset in Rajat Patidar's first game as RCB captain. They restricted the defending champions to well under 200 and chased down the target at a canter, with 22 balls to spare. While it was an excellent performance, there were a couple of tactical decisions that were rather questionable.
On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by RCB in their IPL 2025 match against KKR.
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#3 Mistake - RCB sent in Devdutt Padikkal at No. 3
When Phil Salt was dismissed in the ninth over, RCB were comfortably placed at 95/1. They had an excellent chance to boost their net run rate, with KKR set to deploy their spinners over the next few overs.
The stage was set for captain Patidar to enter the fray and plunder some boundaries. However, the think tank decided to send in Devdutt Padikkal instead. Had the first wicket fallen inside the powerplay, that would've been understandable, but in the middle overs, it should've always been the skipper.
Padikkal meandered along at a run a ball before being dismissed, while Patidar came in and took the game by the scruff of the neck.
#2 Masterstroke - RCB's death-bowling plans were spot-on
In the last four overs, RCB did all the right things. Patidar tossed the ball to Liam Livingstone in the 17th over, with KKR reluctant to take risks against the spinners.
Then, in the final three overs, Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal dished out a concoction of slower deliveries, bouncers and variations to keep the Kolkata batters in check. The pace duo didn't rely on the yorker and instead used it as a surprise option towards the end of the over.
KKR, who lost a clump of wickets through the second phase of the middle overs, just couldn't accelerate and get to a par total.
#1 Mistake - Rajat Patidar's powerplay bowling changes could've been better
In the fifth over, Patidar brought Krunal Pandya into the attack against Sunil Narine who was just waiting to cut loose. The over proved costly, slightly disrupting the positive momentum from the first three overs delivered by Hazlewood and Dayal.
With a tinge of movement on offer and appreciable bounce, RCB should've stuck to their fast bowlers, especially with Narine on strike. As it turned out, Rasikh Salam and Dayal bowled just six overs between them, with the former not sending down a single ball in the phase which was the most productive for him during IPL 2024.
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