Udaipur, April 8, 2025: When you hear the name Royal Challengers Bangalore, the first thought is – Virat Kohli and his team scoring big with the bat. They are reaching milestones one after another. But the same can’t be said for their bowlers. The bowling unit is still struggling. There is no proper balance between batting and bowling. And that’s been the story for years.

For 17 years, Bangalore has followed the same pattern—strong batting, weak bowling. But this time, something looks different. RCB is breaking that old image.

They have already won 'away' matches against Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata. With that, they’ve become only the second team in IPL history to beat these three giants at their home grounds in one season.

Yes, only 4 matches have been played so far. And there are 10 more left in the first phase. So, it's early to make a final judgment. But one thing is clear—this is not the “same old Bangalore” anymore. Virat Kohli’s RCB is aiming to win the title for the first time, and in their 18th season, they finally look like a team. Let’s take a look at what RCB is doing differently this year...

Impactful Performance of Indian Cricketers

Take the example of Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma. Padikkal has faced 49 balls in this IPL and smashed 11 boundaries. He has a strike rate of 159. His role in the team is not to play long innings, but to increase the run rate at number 3. He is doing exactly that.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma is also performing well, with a strike rate of 184. He played a powerful innings of 40 runs off 19 balls against Mumbai yesterday.

Rajat Patidar Among the Top Performers

Rajat Patidar is another Indian player making a strong impact. He has hit two half-centuries in four matches, scoring runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 175.

Krunal and Bhuvneshwar Deliver with the Ball

Krunal Pandya has taken 7 wickets in 4 matches, often bowling in pressure situations. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 3 wickets in 3 games. His economy rate is 8.77, which is quite good in T20 cricket.

Captain Rajat Patidar—A New Chapter for RCB

Faf du Plessis had been the RCB captain since 2022, but this season the team gave the captaincy to Rajat Patidar. RCB wanted to try something new, and it seems to be working. Patidar is leading the team well, and the credit for RCB’s balanced performance goes to him too.

Kohli Playing His Role in a Balanced Team

This season, every RCB player is contributing. The bowlers are performing well under Josh Hazlewood’s leadership. In batting, Phil Salt and Patidar are stepping up. This means RCB is no longer depending only on Kohli.

Even then, Kohli has scored 164 runs in 4 matches, with an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of 143—steady and effective.

Death Overs: No Longer a Worry

RCB now has good control in the death overs. In the match against Mumbai, they had to defend 41 runs in the last 3 overs. Hardik Pandya was on 35 off 11, and Tilak Verma was on 56 off 28. Still, the RCB bowlers—Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, and Krunal—managed to restrict them to just 28 runs in those overs.

Spinners Are Doing Their Job Too

RCB doesn’t have world-class spinners, and there were questions about Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya. But they are playing their roles well. In the last match, Suyash didn’t take any wickets but gave away just 32 runs in 4 overs—a good effort in a high-scoring game. Krunal took 4 wickets, even though he gave away 45 runs.

Conclusion: Everyone Is Contributing

This season, every RCB player is doing their job—batters, bowlers, and even the captain. That’s why this IPL might be different for Bangalore.