Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Road to the Playoffs in IPL 2025

Royal Challengers Bangalore have been in superb form this season, losing just 4 of their 14 games in the group stage. They have finished the group stage in second spot in the league table and are set to play against PBKS in Qualifier 1 on May 29. RCB players, management, and fans are hoping 2025 will finally be the season they bring home the trophy.

This is the first time RCB will be playing a qualifier since 2016, a season in which they reached the final but lost to SRH. They were cruising towards victory with 114 without a loss in 11 overs chasing 209 while Kohli and Chris Gayle were at the crease. However, a sudden collapse with the wickets of Kohli, Gayle, and AB falling in quick succession cost them the title.

RCB’s management, especially head coach Andy Flower, batting mentor Dinesh Karthik, and head scout Malolan Rangarajan worked tirelessly and formulated a plan to make the best statistical team possible for the 2025 season. Their efforts have paid off as the players picked in the Mega Auction are playing their roles perfectly and providing the desired results.

New Leadership, New Results

The main reason for their success this year is the change in captaincy. For the first time, RCB has a captain who isn’t either an Indian superstar or a foreign player. The management was clear about Patidar’s captaincy role and he has delivered. Under his captaincy, RCB has defeated KKR at Eden Gardens for the first time since 2019, CSK in Chennai since 2008, and MI at the Wankhede for the first time since 2015.

Less Reliance on the Top Order

Things are different this time around for RCB as they aren’t as heavily dependent on their top three as in previous seasons. They have players in the middle and lower order they can rely on if the top order fails to provide a good start. One of the promising factors this season is their away form, setting the IPL record of winning all seven games away from home.

Finding the Perfect Opening Partner

The most important part of the piece was an ultra-aggressive opening partner for Virat Kohli and they wanted Salt to play that role. Faf Du Plessis, though perfect for the role, wasn’t a long-term option while Will Jacks was let go despite his lightning-fast hundred in the previous season. Salt has paid off the trust that was put in him by scoring 331 runs at a strike rate of 171.50. Together with Kohli, they have the best average as an opening pair among the top four teams this season, and third overall.

A New Kohli on Display

This season, we are also witnessing a new version of Kohli: no more playing the anchor role and attacking from ball one. This is his third consecutive 600+ run season but his strike rate stands out among his previous ones. He has also set the IPL record for scoring the most fifties in a winning cause in a season (8).

Middle and Lower Order Delivering

Scoring runs at the top has never been an RCB problem. They have had some big names at the top over the years and they provided some memorable performances. But they have struggled whenever their middle and lower order were needed to stand up and this is where this season stands out.

Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, and Tim David have all been scoring runs whenever the team needed them. Jitesh’s innings sealed the top position for RCB while Romario Shepherd’s second-fastest IPL fifty set the tone for their win against CSK. Tim David has been performing the role of finisher, hitting the most sixes between overs 17-20.

Strong Bowling Unit

Their strategy to choose an effective bowling lineup has also paid off as the trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal are enjoying the best of forms. Hazlewood, in particular, is in superb form, getting 18 wickets in just 10 games. He has the second-lowest economy this season and was the top wicket-taker until his injury made him miss the last three games.

Spin Department Finally Firing

The spin department has been a weak link for RCB in the past but the duo of Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya has lifted the bar there as well. Patidar has been using Suyash effectively and the 16 wickets by Krunal have certainly made a difference.

With two games to go, RCB are getting closer to the lifelong dream of getting their hands on an IPL trophy. However, the T20 format is full of surprises and even a minor mistake or mishap can result in tragedy. Nonetheless, RCB’s team of 2025 is certainly among the best-performing teams IPL has ever seen.