Former India batter Mohammed Kaif has advised Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar to sharpen his approach to short-pitched deliveries, claiming that the issue has become visible in recent games. Patidar has generally been a reliable presence for RCB this season, leading the campaign with contributions with both bat and ball, but Kaif believes opponents have started to target his discomfort against bouncers and other short balls. In the first 11 innings of the IPL so far, Patidar has amassed 337 runs at an average of 33.70, striking at 192.70, including three half-centuries. He has also struck 31 sixes in the tournament, underscoring that his power is intact even as a specific matchup problem lingers.
Speaking on a YouTube show, Kaif said that once other teams identify a weakness, they typically map out a clear plan around it. He pointed to Patidar’s body position and timing against short balls, suggesting that the batter has not been keeping his eyes fixed on the ball when the pace and length change. Kaif’s message was direct: Patidar needs to work on handling bouncers and should not shut out the delivery. Kaif added that when a batter is not set properly, the risk of being struck anywhere in the body increases, and that Patidar’s technique against short balls has effectively been exposed.
Kaif also turned his attention to RCB’s bowling resources, arguing that the franchise should stick with their spinner Suyash Sharma even if the returns have not been as impactful as expected. He drew a comparison with last season, when RCB’s title charge was supported by two spinners at crucial stages. Kaif suggested RCB may need at least one more specialist spinner to go all the way in the IPL, and he highlighted the specific contributions that helped shape last year’s campaign: Suyash Sharma playing a role in the qualifier and Krunal Pandya making a difference in the final.
For context, Kaif noted Sharma’s current output: in 10 appearances, the spinner has taken seven wickets at an average of 41.42, with best figures of 2/47. The former batter’s view was that consistent backing can help spinners find their rhythm and deliver at the moments that matter.
Kaif then assessed another bowling unit, saying that KKR’s situation changed significantly because Varun Chakravarthy has been sidelined with a niggle. He claimed that if Varun had been available, the contest would have been tighter, and pointed to the wider list of absences affecting KKR’s bowling depth. Kaif mentioned that there was no Matheesha Pathirana and no Harshit Rana, while also noting that multiple bowlers were unavailable due to injury concerns. He even referenced batting matchups, claiming that Virat Kohli did not find success against Narine in the game, and argued that with Varun in the side, KKR’s challenge would likely have been much closer. Kaif also recalled Varun’s influence in previous stretches, saying the spinner had been a match-winning factor twice during the period when KKR won four games in a row.
Turning to the match itself, RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first. The decision immediately paid off as KKR were reduced to 48/2. The innings then found momentum through two key knocks: Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 71 not out off 46 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes, while Rinku Singh contributed 49 not out from 32 deliveries, with three boundaries and two maximums. Those efforts carried KKR to 192/4 in their 20 overs. In RCB’s bowling, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar each picked up a wicket.
RCB’s chase saw an early setback once again as Virat Kohli lost his opening partner, Jacob Bethell, for 15. However, a 92-run partnership between Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal provided the platform, with Padikkal scoring 39 off 27 balls and hitting seven fours. As the chase entered its closing stages, Kohli took control and RCB finished the job in 19.1 overs, reaching the target with six wickets to spare.
The win has moved RCB back to the top of the table, where they now sit with eight wins and four defeats, accumulating 16 points. KKR, meanwhile, suffered a major blow to their playoff momentum. They had been unbeaten in their previous four matches after a difficult stretch that included six winless games overall, made up of five losses and one no result. With this defeat, their final three fixtures become must-win for any realistic postseason qualification hopes.
