After a tough home defeat to Gujarat Titans, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar highlights positives in performances by Jitesh Sharma, Liam Livingstone, and Tim David.
Bengaluru, April 3: After suffering an eight-wicket loss to Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar chose to focus on the positives. Despite a top-order collapse, Patidar lauded his middle-order batters for showing intent and resilience.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Patidar said:
“Not 200, we were targeting around 190 after the powerplay, but losing early wickets harmed this match. I think the intent was good, but we should not have lost as many as three wickets in the powerplay—it was one wicket too many.”
He praised the fight shown by the middle order:
“The way Jitesh, Liam Livingstone, and Tim David batted, it was a positive for us. We are confident about the batting line-up. They are showing some positive intent, which is very good for us.”
Despite the defeat, Patidar applauded the bowlers for extending the match till the 18th over, calling it “amazing to watch.”
🔹 Match Recap:
RCB, put into bat first, struggled early as former teammate Mohammed Siraj (3/19) dismantled the top order, reducing them to 42/4.
- Liam Livingstone led the recovery with a 54-run knock (40 balls).
- Jitesh Sharma contributed 33 off 20 balls, and
- Tim David added a late boost with 32 off 18 balls, pushing RCB to 169/8.
Sai Kishore (2/22) and Prasidh Krishna (1/26) also starred with the ball for GT.
During the chase, GT lost Shubman Gill early, but dominant performances from:
- Jos Buttler (73* off 39),
- Sai Sudharsan (49 off 36), and
- Sherfane Rutherford (30* off 18)
took them to a comfortable win with 13 balls and eight wickets to spare.
🏆 Player of the Match:
Mohammed Siraj, for his exceptional 3/19 against his former side.
📊 Points Table Update:
RCB remains third on the table with four points (2 wins, 1 loss), while GT climbs to fourth, tied on points but trailing on net run rate.