KL Rahul’s behind-the-wicket observation skills proved crucial on a tacky Chinnaswamy pitch as he guided Delhi Capitals (DC) to a resounding win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) with an unbeaten 93* off 53 balls. His ability to assess pitch behavior while keeping wickets gave him the edge on a surface that continues to frustrate RCB.
Rahul Reads the Conditions, Reacts Smartly
“This was a slightly tricky wicket,” Rahul admitted. “What helped me is being behind the stumps for 20 overs, watching how the wicket played. It wasn’t two-paced, but it just sat in the wicket a little bit.”
Rahul, who came in at No. 4 with DC at 10 for 2, was cautious early but exploded later. After scoring 29 off 29, he smashed 64 in his next 24 balls. He credited his time as a wicketkeeper for understanding the “pockets” to target on this slow surface.
“Wicketkeeping gave me cues—how other batters played, where they got dismissed, where they were able to hit sixes,” he said. “That helped me shape my approach.”
RCB’s Frustration with the Pitch Grows
RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik voiced concerns about the surface at the Chinnaswamy, suggesting it hasn’t favored batters this season.
“In the first two games here, we’ve asked for good batting pitches, but it hasn’t turned out that way. It’s definitely been challenging,” Karthik said. “More runs help broadcasters and fans, but these surfaces are hard for strokeplay.”
RCB have now lost both home games this season. They were previously beaten by Gujarat Titans after putting up only 169 for 8. Against DC, they again fell short, scoring 163 for 7 despite a blazing start.
Collapse After a Flying Start
RCB were 61 for 0 in just 3.4 overs, but collapsed to 125 for 7 in the next 13.3 overs. Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam strangled the middle order with smart spin bowling, forcing batters into mistimed big shots.
“People have tried to fight it out, but even strike rotation has been hard. Big shots are risky,” Karthik explained. “We’ll speak to the curator, but we trust him to do his job.”
Captain Patidar on What Went Wrong
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar echoed Karthik’s views but also pointed out a lack of game awareness among batters.
“This pitch was different from what we expected,” he said. “We thought it would be good for batting, but we didn’t assess it properly. Everyone showed intent, but going from 61 for 1 to 91 for 4 was unacceptable.”
With two home losses, pitch conditions and middle-order struggles have clearly put RCB on the back foot early in IPL 2025. Rahul’s smart read of the surface, meanwhile, continues to power DC’s unbeaten run.
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