After the recent match No. 65 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), former cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar made a mathematical observation, in terms of finding success in the shortest format of the game.
RCB walked into the contest with a clear mindset to win and inch closer to securing a top-two finish. However, SRH’s Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 94-run knock and a brilliant spell from Eshan Malinga saw the Orange Army come out victorious. Despite a solid start from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, RCB struggled in the death overs, managing only 189 and suffering a 42-run defeat.
With that loss, RCB slipped from second to third on the points table, risking their top-two finish chances. Manjrekar pointed out that it wasnāt just about this match, it was about a consistent trend in the shortest format of the game. He mentioned that for a team to consistently find success, they need to have multiple match winners and not depend on just one or two heroes.
āTo be a consistent T20 team you need many heroes, not one or two. Letās have a look at how many different players have been POTM for the 4 playoff teams. GT – 5, RCB – 7, PBKS – 5, MI – 7 Hmm,” he wrote in a post on X.
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29Meanwhile, RCBās performance was a perfect example when one or two people take the load of responsibility. After a strong powerplay, thanks to Kohli and Salt, the Bengaluru-based franchise couldn’t finish the game as they would have wanted to. In the death overs, the side collapsed, scoring just 22 runs compared to SRHās 63.
Pacer Eshan Malinga orchestrated the mini-collapse, as he removed Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya, ending with figures of 2/37. Notably, his sharp fielding skills saw him run out RCB’s designated skipper, Rajat Patidar.
