RCB vs RR: Hazlewood’s 4-Wicket Haul Guides Royal Challengers Bangalore to 11-Run Victory in IPL 2025

Add as a preferred source on Google

RCB vs RR: In a pulsating encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) edged out Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 11 runs in the 42nd match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Set a daunting target of 206, RR fought valiantly, but the RCB bowlers, led by the brilliant Josh Hazlewood, held their nerve to secure a thrilling victory. With this win, RCB not only bagged two crucial points but also further cemented their position in the top half of the points table.

RCB's innings was a display of explosive batting, with significant contributions from Virat Kohli, who made a steady 70 runs, and a late flourish from Tim David and Jitesh Sharma. Rajasthan Royals, despite some fine performances from their top order, including a fighting 47 from Dhruv Jurel, could not overcome the high asking rate. Hazlewood's exceptional bowling, claiming 4 wickets for 34 runs, was the game-changer, as he dismantled RR's chase with precision and skill.

Match Summary

• Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
• Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 11 runs
• Royal Challengers Bangalore: 205/5 (20 overs)
• Rajasthan Royals: 194/9 (20 overs)

Match Highlights: RCB vs RR - IPL 2025 (42nd Match)

• RCB's Dominant Batting Display: Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a daunting total of 205/5 in their 20 overs. Virat Kohli top-scored with a fluent 70 off 42 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal (50 off 43) and Tim David (23*) provided the late flourish.

• Josh Hazlewood's Magical Bowling: The Australian pacer was the star with the ball, picking up 4 crucial wickets for 34 runs. Hazlewood dismissed key RR batters, including Jaiswal, Hetmyer, and Jurel, helping RCB defend their total.

• Rajasthan Royals' Fightback: Despite losing early wickets, RR showed resilience with Dhruv Jurel's 47 runs. However, the required run rate kept climbing, and RCB's bowlers, led by Hazlewood, held their nerve.

• Key Partnerships: RR's top-order, including Jaiswal (49) and Suryavanshi (16), provided a solid start, but wickets fell regularly in the middle overs. Shimron Hetmyer and Jurel tried to keep the chase alive but fell short in the end.

• Match Winner: With a combination of solid batting and clinical bowling, RCB emerged victorious by 11 runs, with Hazlewood named Player of the Match for his game-changing performance.

RCB's Dominant Batting Display

RCB's innings was powered by a series of impactful contributions, with several batsmen making key scores. The team was off to a solid start, but it was the explosive knock from Phil Salt that set the tone. Salt's 26 runs came from just 20 balls, including four boundaries and a six, before he was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga, caught by Shimron Hetmyer.

Virat Kohli, the ever-reliable captain, looked in his usual elegant touch, contributing 70 runs off 42 balls, with six boundaries and two sixes. His departure in the 15th over, at the hands of Jofra Archer, could have been a turning point, but Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar steadied the ship for RCB. Padikkal, who has shown great form this season, made 50 runs from 43 balls, while Patidar added 13 off just three deliveries before he was dismissed in a dramatic run-out, off the final ball of the innings.

The death overs saw explosive batting from Tim David (23 not out), who, along with wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma (20 not out), helped RCB finish on a formidable 205/5. The overall total looked daunting, but it was the disciplined bowling from Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and others that would need to come good if RCB were to defend it successfully.

RR's Response Falls Just Short

Chasing 206, Rajasthan Royals had a solid start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi building a foundation. Jaiswal was looking in fine touch, but his stay was cut short by a fantastic delivery from Josh Hazlewood, who had him caught at mid-on by Romario Shepherd for 49 off 27 balls. Suryavanshi, too, didn't last long as he fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 16.

The Royals' middle order, however, fought hard. Riyan Parag (22) and Nitish Rana (28) gave the chase some much-needed momentum, but the pressure of chasing a big target mounted as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Both were dismissed by Krunal Pandya, the former caught by Jitesh Sharma and the latter caught behind off Bhuvneshwar's bowling.

Shimron Hetmyer (11) and Dhruv Jurel (47) added some firepower to the chase, but once again, the required rate proved to be too much. Hetmyer's dismissal, caught by Jitesh Sharma off Hazlewood, was another blow to the Royals.

Jurel, however, continued his fight, looking increasingly dangerous with his shots, but the required rate continued to escalate, and wickets fell at the other end. Shubham Dubey (12), Jofra Archer (0), and Wanindu Hasaranga (1) were all dismissed in quick succession as Hazlewood, who finished with figures of 4/34, and Yash Dayal (1/20) led RCB to a tense victory.

Despite Tushar Deshpande (12 not out) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (2 not out) hanging in there till the end, it was clear that Rajasthan's chase had faltered under the pressure. RR ended their innings at 194/9, falling short by 11 runs.