Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered their third consecutive defeat at home in IPL 2025, falling to Punjab Kings by 5 wickets on April 18. The match, shortened to 14 overs due to rain, exposed once again the glaring weaknesses in RCB’s batting lineup. With another underwhelming performance, the team was restricted to just 95 runs, which Punjab chased down with 11 balls to spare.
Following this crushing loss, former India opener Virender Sehwag delivered a scathing assessment of the team, bluntly stating that RCB has no chance of winning the trophy this season. Sehwag highlighted the middle order’s failure as the primary reason behind the team’s continued downfall.
Sehwag Points Out RCB’s Biggest Weakness
During his post-match analysis on Cricbuzz, Sehwag said RCB’s batting remains heavily reliant on its top three—Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, and Rajat Patidar. If these players fail, the rest of the lineup offers little resistance. Despite Tim David’s fighting knock of 50 off 26 balls, the rest of the team crumbled, with 7 batsmen failing to reach double digits.
Sehwag criticized the middle order and said, “Liam Livingstone is turning into the next Glenn Maxwell. Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya have also done nothing notable with the bat. If wickets are falling, someone has to step up. Tim David is doing well, but he gets fewer deliveries. And even when others get a chance, they fail to capitalize. Unless these players start contributing consistently, RCB won’t even win at home, let alone think about the playoffs or the trophy.”
Sehwag criticizes Captain Rajat Patidar
Sehwag also took a direct dig at captain Rajat Patidar. “He needs to figure out where things are going wrong. This isn't something that we outside the team need to point out—he should be asking these questions himself. Their bowlers have tried to fight back, but nothing can work if the batting keeps collapsing.”
Another Disastrous Batting Performance
In the match against Punjab, RCB were reeling at 26 for 3 inside four overs. By the time they reached 42, they had already lost 7 wickets. The team ended with 95 for 9 in 14 overs, thanks largely to Tim David's aggressive knock. However, the rest of the batting unit completely failed to deliver once again.
What’s Next for RCB?
RCB now finds itself sinking further in the points table, and unless the middle order steps up and delivers, the team’s chances of making it to the playoffs appear bleak. With legends like Sehwag openly stating that there is "no chance of winning the trophy," the pressure on the RCB camp has never been higher.
