RCB were in red-hot form before the league's 10-day pause due to the India-Pakistan military conflict, winning four matches on the trot. But the break appears to have disrupted their momentum.
Gujarat Titans were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field, missing four chances -- including three catches and a stumping.
'Josh is such a key figure for us -- not just with his bowling, because we know it's world-class and what he does time and again -- but also as part of the bowling unit, that sort of calm head out there for everybody else to lean on.'
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to secure play-off qualification as struggling Lucknow Super Giants aim to stay alive in the tournament when the two sides clash in the Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
Virat Kohli may reclaim the RCB captaincy in IPL 2025.
Rohit Sharma has managed just 38 runs in four matches at an average of 9.50 in IPL 2025.
Led by Josh Hazlewood, RCB produced a dominant bowling performance to crush Chennai Super Kings by 50 runs.
Krunal Pandya has been the nucleus behind RCB's excellent showing in the middle overs throughout the season.
The standout performers for DC with the ball were Kuldeep Yadav (2-17 in 4 overs) and Vipraj Nigam (2-18 in 4 overs).
Shreyas Iyer's inspiring leadership faces its toughest test yet when Punjab Kings host an equally upbeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League in Mullanpur on Thursday.
The spin all-rounder played a pivotal role in restricting Delhi's batters, including claiming the key wicket of the experienced Faf du Plessis, finishing with figures of 1/28.
RCB were adamant to get a good bowling attack, it was a huge first step in winning IPL: Andy Flower
Josh Hazlewood scalped four wickets in a brilliant spell as Royal Challengers Bengaluru staged a stunning comeback to edge Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs.
Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting expressed disappointment with his team's batting performance in their seven-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match.
Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
Virat Kohli remains the biggest draw as he returns to his 'home ground' at the back of five half-centuries in nine games. Four of them have come away from the Chinnaswamy Stadium and despite being in the opposition camp, the Delhi crowd will be hoping the Indian superstar extends his prolific run in the tournament.
His experience and mastery with the ball shone through as he single-handedly restricted LSG to their lowest-ever Powerplay score -- a paltry 27 for 2. This early stranglehold effectively stalled LSG's batting momentum and set the tone for the entire match.
Pakistan has the upper hand in the Champions Trophy, winning three of the five matches against India.
The appointment of Mo Bobat and Andy Flower and Dinesh Karthik into the coaching staff changed the template, and it reflected in RCB's approach in the auction room in 2024.
'Look at the batting line-up -- it's pure power, then a mix of power and control.'
RCB squandered a golden opportunity to seal a top-two finish on the IPL points table.
Along with his ability to adapt, the high release point makes Hazlewood a tricky customer to deal with on any kind of surface, as it allows him to find that disconcerting extra bounce.
'We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin, but we have a strong pace attack.'
Virat and Krunal inspired Bengaluru to the top of the table by stitching up an impeccable 119-run stand to safely guide the Royal Challengers through the turbulent phase.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) assistant coach Brad Haddin has little doubt that the fighting win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has instilled a lot of confidence in players but said they should strive to get better as this season's IPL is nearing its half-way stage.
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming and Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid have praised the composure of young batsmen Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the IPL.
He also got clobbered along the way but was always in contention for wickets and weaved his magic particularly at the backend of the innings.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Josh Hazlewood says the lack of a strong powerplay segment added to RCB's woes in the IPL match against Punjab Kings in Bengaluru on Friday.
Virat Kohli opened up on his batting methodology, saying his focus remains on analysing the conditions and rotating the strike.
Former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR), who suffered a heart-wrenching 11-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday, are virtually eliminated from the playoff contention in IPL 2025.
2016 champions SRH are banking on a power-packed batting line-up and a revamped bowling attack to end their nine-year title drought.
RCB will have to play five games inside 13 days against MI (away), Delhi Capitals (home), Rajasthan Royals (away) and Punjab Kings (home).
IMAGES from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at the Chinnaswamy stadium, in Bengaluru on Friday
The young left-arm pacer held his nerve in a tense finish to bowl RCB to a narrow two-run victory in a high-scoring game.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Mullanpur on Sunday
RCB head coach Andy Flower expressed his confidence in newly appointed captain Rajat Patidar, highlighting the presence of experienced players like Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar as a major advantage for him.
'As a captain and a player, he never played for a draw, he always wanted to win.'
Chennai Super Kings might feel more 'at home' against an equally clueless Rajasthan Royals on a slow turner expected to be on offer in their next IPL game in Guwahati.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday
