Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach Dinesh Karthik felt his team’s bowling performance made a 175-run score look closer to 190, even though RCB still fell short in a tense last-over battle versus Delhi Capitals. Bengaluru finished on 175/8 after being asked to bat, with Phil Salt driving the innings using a fast 63. Karthik’s standout point: the late fade in the innings was offset by disciplined work with the ball, which kept the chase within touching distance.
At a glance
- RCB made 175/8 batting first
- Phil Salt top-scored with 63
- DC conceded just 29 runs in the last five overs
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets in the powerplay to leave DC at 18/3
- David Miller sealed the win for DC with two sixes and a boundary in the final over
- Despite the defeat, RCB remained second with four wins from six matches
- RCB face Gujarat Titans next on April 24
According to Karthik, the total was never viewed as a “par score” problem inside the camp. “We made 175 feel like 190; that’s all you can do,” he said, adding that the side never felt they had fallen short at any stage. His message was about competing with what the group had available, with the mindset and intent standing out as positives after the result.
He also pointed to the nature of the surface and how Bengaluru managed the bulk of the innings. Karthik said the pitch was challenging to bat on, but the team played well for roughly 75% of the game. The turning point, he admitted, was the finishing stretch, where the scoring rate did not reach the level they wanted in the final five overs.
Bowling and finishing details
Even with that late slowdown, RCB’s response with ball and in the field was central to their push. Karthik highlighted the quality of the bowling and said the side “fielded their skin out,” stressing the commitment displayed by the players. He singled out Krunal and Hazlewood for producing strong spells, while also calling the 19th over “on point.”
From there, Bengaluru attempted to take the contest as deep as possible, Karthik explained. With the game heading into the last over, two incoming batters delivered a decisive burst, smashing boundaries to swing the finish. He noted that this is often how T20 matches pan out—momentum can change quickly once the pressure rises.
Earlier in the chase, Bhuvneshwar Kumar set the tone by striking three times during the powerplay, dragging Delhi Capitals to 18/3 and giving RCB a clear early advantage. But the contest narrowed sharply at the end, when David Miller delivered a dramatic final-over surge, landing two sixes along with a boundary to complete the win for DC.
Despite the loss, RCB did not slip from the top cluster of the table, staying second with four victories from six matches. Their next assignment comes against Gujarat Titans (GT) on April 24.
