IPL 2025: 'The pitch was challenging to bat on, we'll have a chat with curator', says RCB's Karthik

IANS April 11, 2025 281 views

Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced another tough home match in IPL 2025, losing to Delhi Capitals by six wickets. Mentor Dinesh Karthik openly criticized the pitch conditions, suggesting they were challenging for batters. The match saw KL Rahul scoring an impressive unbeaten 93, guiding Delhi to victory. Karthik hinted that post-match discussions with the pitch curator would address the batting difficulties.

"We will have a chat with him (curator). We trust him to do his job" - Dinesh Karthik
IPL 2025: 'The pitch was challenging to bat on, we'll have a chat with curator', says RCB's Karthik
Bengaluru, April 11: Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik was not pleased with the pitch offered to the home side for their first two matches of the IPL 2025 season following a six-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

Key Points

1

RCB struggles with challenging pitch conditions at M Chinnaswamy Stadium

2

Karthik questions pitch preparation for home matches

3

Delhi Capitals win fourth consecutive match

It was RCB's second consecutive home loss, and Karthik was quick to call out the curator for not giving them "good pitches" as it was challenging for batters to bat on.

"In the first two games, we have asked for good pitches. But it's turned out in this way where it's been challenging to bat on. So, we try to do the best with whatever we get. But we will have a chat with him (curator). We trust him to do his job," said Karthik in the post-match press conference.

"So, definitely, this is not a pitch that's helping the batters too much. It's a challenging pitch. So, that has been the case so far in both the games that we have played," he added.

Batting first, RCB were restricted to 163/7, with Phil Salt and Tim David playing identical knocks of 37 as Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav scalped two wickets apiece.

In the chase, KL Rahul's masterclass 93 not out, studded with six sixes and seven fours, guided Delhi to their fourth consecutive win and kept their unbeaten streak intact in the tournament.

Karthik further said that drizzle during Delhi's chase helped the pitch settle down and made it easier to bat on.

"It was a bit sticky, the pitch. After the first four overs and up until the 13th over, we were very much in the game. With the bat, we did have a wobble, but we found a way to get to a very decent score. They were struggling at 50 for 4," he said.

"In the first game (vs GT), there was dew. So, it got a lot better to bat in the second innings. Today, there was not as much dew. Then, unluckily for us, a little bit of rain came. And then you could see the difference in the pitch. The shots that they played weren't possible in the first innings," the former wicketkeeper added.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul P.
Tough loss for RCB but KL Rahul was just unstoppable today! That 93* was pure class 👏 Hope the pitch gets better for the next matches though - Chinnaswamy deserves those big sixes we love!
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Shreya K.
I get DK's frustration but blaming the pitch after 2 losses is a bit much? Other teams have to play on the same surface. Maybe focus on team selection and strategy instead 🤔 #RCB
A
Arjun M.
That rain changed everything! Was watching live and you could literally see the difference in ball behavior after those few minutes of drizzle. Unlucky for RCB but great fight from DC!
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Priya N.
As a neutral fan, I actually enjoyed watching a more balanced contest between bat and ball for once! Not every match needs to be 200+ scores to be exciting 😊
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Vikram S.
Karthik has a point - Chinnaswamy is known for being batter-friendly. If they prepared something different intentionally, that's unfair to home team fans who expect fireworks 💥
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Neha R.
Tim David and Phil Salt showing some fight at least! But RCB's middle order still looks shaky. Maybe they should give more chances to their Indian youngsters? #PlayLocalTalent

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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