IPL2020 (34/74 @ Bengaluru) – A ROUND UP – A SPECTRE OF THINGS GONE WRONG

Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 34 of TATA IPL 2025 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Earlier Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first. RCB were reduced to 42/7 before Tim David's fighting and explosive 50* (26) helped RCB build up a respectable 95/9 though his half century went in vain as PBKS won the match by five wickets.

Source: TOI

PITCH CONDITIONS @ M CHINNASWAMY STADIUM, BENGALURU

The pitch at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is traditionally known as a batting-friendly surface, characterized by its flat nature and short boundaries, which typically result in high-scoring matches.

RAIN-SHORTENED MATCH – GAME STRATEGY AFFECTED

Rain delayed the start of the match reducing it to a 14-overs a side contest. This caused a change in pitch conditions, further causing batting collapses and lower total scores

RCB'S HOME STRUGGLES

RCB's had faced till then two consecutive defeats at home in the 2025 IPL season. This was despite maintaining a perfect away record with four wins and their performance at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been underwhelming.

EFFECTIVE BOWLING BY PBKS

PBKS's bowlers capitalized on the conditions effectively. Yuzvendra Chahal, a former RCB player fully leveraged the weaknesses of his past colleagues to deliver a notable perform taking 2 wickets for just 11 runs, including the crucial dismissal of Rajat Patidar. The disciplined bowling attack restricted RCB to a below average total. ​ 

WHY WAS THE MATCH LOW SCORING?

Both the innings experienced low scoring on a high scoring pitch. This deviation from the norm can be attributed to several factors:​

1. Weather Conditions: The match was affected by rain, leading to a reduction in overs and potentially altering the pitch conditions, making it more challenging for batters.​

2. Effective Bowling: Both teams' bowlers exploited the conditions effectively, utilizing any assistance from the pitch to restrict the batting line-ups.​

3. Batting Performance: There were notable batting collapses, particularly from RCB, which contributed to the lower total scores.

HOW CAN PBKS IMPROVE TO WIN THE TROPHY?

While PBKS achieved the win, their performance wasn't without flaws.

Top-Order Wobbles

Chasing a modest target of 96, PBKS's top order experienced early setbacks. They lost both openers within the first four overs, reaching 33/2 by the end of the powerplay. Josh Hazlewood's incisive bowling further dented their innings, claiming two wickets in the eighth over and reducing PBKS to 50/4 by the seventh over.

Areas for Improvement

1.   Top-Order Stability: The early loss of wickets underlines the need for a more resilient top-order performance in future matches

2.   No Anchor Player Among the Top Order: Shreyas needs to be more sensitive to the need for an anchor role to stabilize and build up the score. If he can’t play himself, he should institute some other batsman among the first four to do that

3.   The middle-order's ability to absorb pressure was commendable, but reliance on them due to top-order failures could be risky against stronger opponent.

In summary, while PBKS emerged victorious, the early batting stumbles highlight areas that require attention to ensure consistent performances in the tournament

COULD RCB WIN THE MATCH?

YES — but they let it slip.

Analysis of How It Slipped

1. Decent Start – But No Momentum

·     RCB lost early wickets and just couldn’t build partnerships. No player among the top demonstrated the ability or the need to anchor the inning.

·     The team should learn not to depend on Virat Kohli for this role. He is a great anchor but lacks consistency

·     Patidar should consider taking up this role himself and consider coming one down.

·     Tim David’s 50* was explosive, but no one else stuck around. One does not win T20s on solo brilliance, especially in rain-curtailed games where every over is gold.

2. 95 in 14 Overs – Below Average

By any standards, 95 is below Average — especially at Chinnaswamy, which is considered a batting paradise. Anything under 8 runs per over is shameful

3. Timid Middle Overs

RCB simply didn’t accelerate when during the overs 5–10. Instead RCB tried to stabilize, which cost them the edge.

4. PBKS Played Smart

PBKS didn't come out swinging — they played percentage cricket. Didn’t panic. Took the target down sensibly and waited for loose balls, especially with. The explosive hitting by Tim David’s did not panic them either

Could RCB Have Won? Yes, ….

·     If One of the top-order batters had batted till the end with Tim David.

·     Had they scored 8 runs an over reaching around 115 instead of 95.

·     Had they bowled aggressively and not opted to defend the total by keeping the scoring down

In a rain-hit T20, the team that shows urgency early tends to win. RCB played it like a full 20-over game — PBKS played it like a sprint. That was the difference.