Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar expressed disappointment over his team’s narrow six-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, acknowledging that they fell short by 15-20 runs despite a valiant attempt to extend the match to the final over.
RCB’s aggressive approach led to a total of 175/8 on a slow pitch, with their middle order struggling against Delhi Capitals’ impressive death overs bowling. Despite a quick 63 off 38 balls by opener Phil Salt, including four boundaries and three sixes, RCB’s momentum waned in the latter part of the innings as Delhi Capitals restricted them to just 29 runs in the final five overs.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Patidar remarked, “That was really close, but I feel that we were 15-20 runs short. The way we started, especially VK bhai and Salt, they gave a good start. But from there, after 12-13 overs, we lost wickets in a couple of overs, and that put us on the back foot.”
The defeat marked RCB’s first loss in Bengaluru after five consecutive home victories. Additionally, it was their third defeat in 11 day games since 2022, bringing their total losses to nine out of 15 matches played in the green jersey.
When questioned about the team’s aggressive batting on a challenging pitch, Patidar noted, “I think the pitch was a bit tacky, but I think the way we stretched the game to the last over was a positive sign for us. I was just discussing with the bowler to be clear in what you do.”
Despite the setback, Patidar remained hopeful for the upcoming matches in the tournament, stating, “It’s a long tournament, but I think we will go back and introspect where we put the errors and we’ll rectify them.”
Defending champions RCB will now enjoy a six-day break before facing IPL 2022 winners Gujarat Titans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 24.
