No second-guessing for RCB, says Kumble ahead of playoffs despite loss putting a dent in hopes of finishing top 2.
Kumble want RCB to shake off yesterday’s loss and end up having no second-guessing themselves.
On Friday night in Lucknow, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had the option to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), but they would have preferred to do so because a victory would have given them a strong chance to place in the top two of the IPL 2025 league table. It never happened. While Anil Kumble continues to support them to get there, Tom Moody wants them to “move on very quickly” since they will play the last league game and will know “what they need to do.”
“I think you need to move on very quickly. I think you’ve got to patch up your wounds – and they’ve got a few scars there – but I don’t think you dwell on it too much,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show after RCB’s 42-run loss. “Because they have done a lot of good things this season, and that should be the focus, try to draw out some of the positives of this game – the opening partnership of 80, [Phil] Salt back in the side [and] finding some form – he hit five sixes. So try to keep it upbeat, try to keep it as positive as possible, because now is not the time for people for no second-guessing what they are doing or what their role is in the side.”
One of the benefits was undoubtedly the ability to find salt. Almost precisely one month has passed since his last appearance on April 24, just before he became unwell. Then, due to tensions along the India-Pakistan border, there was a break. Next came RCB’s first game after the IPL resumed, which ended in a washout. Due to obligations with their national teams, Jacob Bethell and Lungi Ngidi are out for the season, while they have lost Devdutt Padikkal and Josh Hazlewood (though he may return) due to injury. It’s also possible that Tim David worked on his hamstring on Friday.
Although the situation can depress you, Kumble was pleased with the way RCB chased down SRH’s 231 for 6, particularly the opening 80 runs in seven overs from Salt and Virat Kohli. However, he also pointed out the errors in that pursuit.
“The start was extremely good. Though Virat Kohli was the dominant partner in the opening stand with Phil Salt, who was playing after a month and looked rusty, but one of them needed to bat deep,” Kumble said. “If that had happened, we would be talking about an RCB win. I also think that the 25-odd balls that Mayank [Agarwal] and Rajat Patidar played together made it tough for RCB. But their game plan was right. The fall of wickets and Tim David’s injury didn’t help.”
Jitesh Sharma, standing in for Patidar as captain, said after the game that he didn’t mind the result. “I think sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check, analyse where we are lacking.” Kumble wasn’t buying it. But with RCB playing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to end the league phase on May 27, Kumble hasn’t given up on his old team making the top two.
“You need to say these things. You shouldn’t be losing at this stage. You needed to win this to make it easier to finish in the top two. We know the importance of a top-two finish,” he said. “It can still happen. Mathematically, anything can happen on the table. But the pressure will be on RCB. The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do. No second-guessing at this point.”