RCB lost to SRH by 25 runs in a high-scoring fixture at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Invited to bat first, SRH amassed a colossal 287/3, marking the highest-ever total in IPL history. Opener Travis Head starred with the bat as he scored 102 off a mere 41 deliveries. Heinrich Klaasen (67 off 31), Abdul Samad (37* off 10), Abhishek Sharma (34 off 22) and Aiden Markram (32 off 17) also made significant contributions to the team’s total.
In reply, RCB put up a brave fight and went on to score 262/7, courtesy of Dinesh Karthik’s brutal 35-ball 83 and fireworks from Faf du Plessis (62 off 28) and Virat Kohli (42 off 20) at the top. However, it wasn’t enough to take them over the finishing line.
After the defeat, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis hailed his batters for giving their best while chasing the colossal target.
"Much better (batting performance) from us, that was a proper T20 wicket. Just tried to get close in the end, but 280 was very far. It's tough. We tried a few things, we tried different things. There's no way to hide when your confidence is low. The fast bowlers found it quite difficult out there. Similar to the batting perspective, we need to work on a few areas," Du Plessis said in the post-match interaction.
"Need to make sure the run rate doesn't go down after powerplay. The guys put up their hand and never gave up (in the run chase). It was good to see the fight, 30-40 runs from the bowling perspective was a bit too much. It's important to go away and freshen your mind, it's such a mental game. Sometimes you feel your mind is going to explode. When you get back to the contest you have to give full commitment," he added.
This was RCB's sixth defeat, also fifth on the trot, in seven matches this season. They are currently languishing at the bottom of the 10-team points table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (April 21).
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)