RCB stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma remarked that “sometimes it’s good to lose” following the team’s defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad at Ekana.
RCB Slip to Third After Heavy Defeat; Jitesh Sharma Says “Sometimes Losing Is Good”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s hopes of securing a top-two finish in the IPL 2025 standings took a major hit as they suffered a 42-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Stadium on Friday. The loss pushed RCB down to third place, leaving their top-two qualification chances dependent on the outcomes of other matches.
Despite a strong 80-run opening stand between Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, RCB failed to chase down the daunting 232-run target. A shocking collapse followed, with the team losing their final seven wickets for just 16 runs, allowing SRH to clinch a commanding win.
Stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, however, remained optimistic and framed the loss as a valuable learning experience. “Yes, we were rusty. The intensity was not there initially. After the 6-7 overs mark, we were there. In the death, we were bowling more accurately and more precise. But it’s good to lose this game, I feel,” said Jitesh.
“Sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check and analyse where you are lacking. If you keep winning, you don’t see your mistakes,” he added, while acknowledging the team’s shortcomings, especially in the powerplay where SRH batters dominated.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Jitesh’s side was put under pressure by a relentless SRH batting performance. Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 94 off 48 balls, combined with valuable contributions from Abhishek Sharma (34) and Aniket Verma (26), helped SRH post a massive 231/6.
Reflecting on the target, Jitesh Sharma admitted, “I think it was 20-30 runs extra. They played really well. In the powerplay, they really attacked us. I didn’t have any answers for their attack.”
Jitesh Sharma said ~ "It's good to lose this match, sometimes losing is good, you can check and analyse where you're lacking".
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) May 24, 2025
~ What's your take on this 🤔 #RCBvsSRH pic.twitter.com/qCzzMVhK4K
Tim David’s injury scare
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are facing a fresh injury concern with Tim David, who appeared to hurt himself while fielding during the final over of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s innings. The big-hitting Australian was chasing a shot from Ishan Kishan, who had flicked a full toss from Yash Dayal behind square. David sprinted toward the fine leg boundary but was seen hobbling moments later and had to leave the field.
He was replaced by Jacob Bethell for the remaining five deliveries of the over. Despite the injury, David came out to bat at No. 8 but looked uncomfortable, managing just 1 run off 5 balls before his dismissal.
RCB, now placed third on the points table, will face Lucknow Super Giants in their final league match on Tuesday, May 27. The team will be hoping for positive news on David’s fitness ahead of the crucial fixture.