Royal Challengers Bengaluru enjoyed a dominant outing in their latest clash against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. They completely outclassed the hosts to register their sixth win of the season, doing so in emphatic fashion to solidify their position at second place on the points table.
RCB bowled DC out for just 75 runs—the seventh-lowest total in IPL history—before chasing down the target in a mere 6.3 overs, which also helped them secure the best net run rate in the tournament.
Following the comprehensive win, RCB captain Rajat Patidar shared his thoughts on the performance and subtly hinted at the team’s ambitions of clinching another IPL title, emphasizing the importance of a strong bowling unit.
Rajat Patidar lauds his team while a subtle vision for another IPL title
In the post-match interview, Patidar admitted he was surprised by how the pitch behaved and credited the bowlers—especially Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar—for exploiting the conditions perfectly during the powerplay.
"Absolutely, but I think even I am surprised the way wicket played and all credit goes to bowlers, the way they have bowled, especially in the powerplay, Hazlewood and Bhuvi. I think the way they have, you know, hit those areas and got that a bit of swing earlier, I think that was tremendous to see. (more swing than normal early on?) I think the swing was normal, and the good thing was we got the early wicket and that's why it kept us on the driving seat."
When asked why he didn’t extend the spells of Kumar and Hazlewood, Patidar explained the pre-planned bowling strategy:
"No, no. I think I was... we have planned earlier that if we got early wickets then we'll go three-three overs of each. And let's see after how the wicket is behaving and the way afterwards the Suyash and Sheppy bowled I think the areas. And Suyash also bowled, I think he got a lot of spin, I would say, but I think the way he bowled stump to stump, I think that was really good to see. (on keeping the winning run going) It's very important to follow your routines because you know it's still a long way to go, but I think we are just taking one game at a time. And the positive is, as I mentioned last game also, that different players coming up and doing it for the team, I think that's a good sign for us."
He further highlighted the importance of having a quality bowling attack in T20 cricket and suggested that such strength could be key to winning the title:
"Of course, I think if you are playing T20 cricket on the flat surface, so I think if you have, you should have a good bowling unit. That's why, because only bowler can make you win the championship."
RCB is now set to face the Gujarat Titans on Thursday, April 30, and with 10 points already in their kitty, they only need to win three more games to have the best chance at qualification, although it'll also depend on the situation and how other teams perform.