Bengaluru, April 11, 2025 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar didn’t sugarcoat it Thursday, branding his team’s batting “not acceptable” after a 47-run drubbing by Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2025’s clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chasing 193, RCB crumbled to 145 in 17.3 overs—Patidar’s 34 off 22 the lone flicker—leaving fans stunned and the dressing room tense.
DC’s Rishabh Pant (67 off 39) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (51 off 28) set the tone, hammering 192/6, with Mukesh Kumar’s 3/21—nabbing Virat Kohli (18)—sealing the rout (NDTV). “We didn’t apply ourselves—top order’s got to step up,” Patidar fumed post-match, per The Indian Express. Three games in, RCB’s 1-2 record stings—Kohli’s 92 runs dwarfed by Pant’s 141 atop the charts. “Losing at home hurts worse,” he added.
The collapse was swift—Will Jacks (9), Cameron Green (12), and Glenn Maxwell (4) flopped, exposing a middle order that’s now 2025’s punching bag. DC’s bowlers—Khaleel Ahmed and Axar Patel snagged two each—ran riot on a pitch Patidar called “decent, not 140-worthy.” Fans on X vented, “Same old RCB—choke kings!”—a nod to their 0-7 home streak from 2024 (Times of India).
Patidar, captaining since Faf du Plessis’s 2024 exit, faces heat—his 87 runs in three knocks don’t scream leader. “I’ve got to walk the talk too,” he admitted. Kohli’s early slash to point sparked the slide—DC’s fielding, with Shai Hope’s screamer, buried it. Coach Andy Flower’s “back to basics” plea looms large—next up’s Punjab Kings on Sunday.
This isn’t just a loss—it’s a wake-up. Can RCB’s batsmen find spine, or is 2025 another trophy tease?
