previous chennai super kings batter Ambati Rayudu After losing by 43 runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2026, the team criticized the team’s approach with the ball, suggesting that a lack of adaptability cost them dearly. CSK was under huge pressure after RCB posted a daunting 250/3 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The belated attack came from Tim David and rajapatidar The pair proved to be decisive as the duo completed the 99-run win in just 35 balls. Despite struggling with the bat, CSK were eventually bowled out for 207 runs. Looking back on the bowling performance, Rayudu believes the problem was not just the initial plan but the failure to reassess when things started slipping away. “It wasn’t just a bad plan, they just stuck with that bad plan. No one intervened, just took a break, took 20-30 seconds, slowed it down a little bit and then guided the bowlers with a message. I think they should have slowed down a little bit,” Rayudu said. In the final stages of the innings, RCB posted 97 runs in the last five overs, highlighting CSK’s struggles in the face of the death. Rayudu pointed out that bowlers were unable to respond effectively after being hit. “Their follow-on balls were not good for boundaries or six balls,” he added. “Generally, as a bowler, you need to realize, okay, I’m hit for six, but it’s the next ball that counts. Whenever you see good death bowlers, they always follow up with a really good ball. But their power bowling and middle-order bowling are much better than they were in the last game.” While CSK struggled at crucial moments, Rayudu praised RCB’s sharp awareness and control throughout the match as a hallmark of their recent dominance, which included their fourth consecutive victory over CSK. “At the same time, RCB won’t let anything just go by; they just want to control every scenario, every over,” he said. The contrast in execution and match-making ultimately proved decisive, with CSK unable to adapt under pressure, leaving RCB in complete control of the game.
