Tim David stands tall amid RCB batting debacle in rain-curtailed showdown

In a rain-affected clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were restricted to a dismal 95 for nine in 14 overs, courtesy of disciplined bowling and sharp fielding from the Punjab Kings.

The match, delayed by persistent rain, finally got underway at 9:45 PM with both teams adapting to a shortened 14-over format. Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first, a decision that paid immediate dividends.

The powerplay, reduced to just four overs due to the revised format, saw RCB lose three crucial wickets. Phil Salt opened with a stylish boundary but fell in the very first over, attempting a wild slog off Arshdeep Singh (2/23), only to find Josh Inglis behind the stumps ready for a clean take.

Virat Kohli was the next to depart, falling to a brilliant piece of fielding by Marco Jansen, who sprinted 20 metres to complete a diving catch off Arshdeep’s bowling. Liam Livingstone also failed to make an impact, mistiming a shot off Xavier Bartlett that landed safely in the hands of Priyansh Arya at cover.

At the end of the powerplay, RCB found themselves reeling at 26/3.

Yuzvendra Chahal (2/11), returning to his former home ground, left his mark by trapping Jitesh Sharma. While Rajat Patidar tried to stabilize the innings with a few classy strokes, including a majestic pick-up six off Bartlett over mid-wicket, his promising stay ended at 23 when he holed out to the same bowler at deep cover.

Jansen (2/10) continued to torment the RCB batters with well-directed short balls, dismissing both Krunal Pandya and Impact Player Manoj Bhandage as the innings further unraveled.

In the midst of the collapse, Tim David stood tall. The aggressive Australian all-rounder remained unbeaten on 50 from just 26 deliveries, launching a spirited counterattack that included three massive sixes in a single over off left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar. David`s blitz, along with a 32-run last-wicket partnership with Josh Hazlewood, added some respectability to an otherwise disappointing total.

However, David’s fireworks couldn’t mask the lacklustre top-order performance of RCB, setting up a chaseable target for the Punjab Kings in a game where momentum swung early—and never returned.