After their first home defeat in IPL 2026, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper, Rajat Patidar, still looked positive about his team’s performance and highlighted that it is a long tournament and they will get more chances to bounce back.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Delhi Capitals clashed in a highly anticipated contest, as the Capitals looked for their third win in the competition. Having started their IPL 2026 campaign on a promising note, they faced two defeats after two wins early on. A win for the Capitals would mean they could bounce back to seal the 4th spot in the points table.
RCB, on the other hand, have continued their promising form from 2025, and this time around, skipper Rajat Patidar has been leading from the front. Currently placed in the second position before the match started, RCB might not slip down immediately even if they lose the game, but it would surely be their first setback at their home venue this season; hence, the Patidar-led side would be looking to continue their winning streak at home.
RCB’s fast drivers face a bump as DC bowlers dominate in the death
The RCB batters have been the best performers and the most consistent ones so far in this edition of the competition. The openers have delivered on alternative occasions, while the middle order has backed them wonderfully. Especially skipper Rajat Patidar has led by example.
However, despite a promising start from Phil Salt in this game as well, the RCB batters struggled to maintain the flow of runs after he was dismissed off a wide delivery from Kuldeep Yadav, which he miscued to Tristan Stubbs at long off.
Patidar, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd, all the big hitters, missed out as the DC bowlers controlled the death. Ngidi bowled some startling slower balls while Natarajan continued his stunning spell in the death, as he nailed six yorkers in an over.
KL Rahul lits up Chinnaswamy, while Stubbs takes DC over the line
Coming to the DC innings, they had a contradictory start to their innings with in-form Pathum Nissanka being dismissed early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. RCB climbed onto them as he dismissed Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi in his next over.
However, the local boy from Karnataka, KL Rahul, was at the crease, and he helped Tristan Stubbs with the time he needed to settle down. Rahul took the attack while Stubbs batted deep. Finally, after Rahul’s dismissal post his half-century, Stubbs finished with an unbeaten 60.
David Miller was the hero once again, chasing 13 off the final four balls of the innings. He smashed the ball to all parts of the ground, scoring 16 off just 3 balls and taking Delhi home with those two points.
“We’ll rectify them.” – Rajat Patidar admits to mistakes, agrees to introspect and rectify them
Rajat Patidar claimed that the team, despite a good start, could not continue their run-scoring in the later part of their innings. “That was very close, but I feel that we were 15-20 runs short. The way we started initially, especially Virat bhai and Salt, they have given a good start, but from there, after 12-13 overs, we lost wickets in a couple of overs and that put us on the backseat,” Rajat Patidar opined.
“I think in the first inning, it was a bit tacky, I would say. But I think the way we stretched in the last over, I think that’s a positive sign for us. But I think I was just discussing with the bowlers that they be clear whatever they do.”
“It’s a long tournament, but I think we will go back and introspect where we put the errors and we’ll rectify them,” Rajat Patidar added.
ALSO READ: SRH vs CSK Impact Players Today: Toss Report, Playing XIs, Latest Updates IPL 2026 Match 27
