The middle-order muscle of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) exploded against rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, breaking several records in the process. RCB posted a massive 250/3 after being put to bat first during their clash with five-time champions CSK at their home venue.

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Put to field first, Virat Kohli (28 in 18 balls, with two fours and a six) and Phil Salt (46 in 30 balls, with three fours and two sixes) could not capitalise on their starts, but massive bursts of aggression from Padikkal (50 in 29 balls, with six fours and two sixes), Patidar (48* in 19 balls, with a four and six sixes) and David (70* in 25 balls, with three fours and eight sixes) guided RCB to a massive score. David and Patidar put on 99 runs for the fourth wicket in just 35 balls.

Team records re-written by RCB

A total of 19 sixes were smashed during the innings. This is the third-most sixes by RCB in an IPL innings and the most for any team against CSK, 17 each by KKR (Chennai, 2018) and RR (Sharjah, 2020).

The score of 250/3 is RCB's third-highest IPL total and second-highest score at Bengaluru, with 262/7 vs SRH in 2024 and 263/5 against Pune Warriors India back in 2013 being their best scores.

David-Patidar partnership takes RCB to new highs, updates record books

The unbeaten 99-run stand between David and Patidar had the highest run-rate for a partnership by an RCB pair in IPL history, with 16.97 runs per over. Above them are pairs of Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head vs DC, Delhi, 2024 (20.68 runs per over in 131 runs off 68 balls) and against Lucknow Super Giants (17.27 runs per over in 167 runs off 58 balls) and KKR's pair of Chris Lynn & Sunil Narine (17.02 runs per over in 105 runs off 37 balls) against RCB in 2017 at Bengaluru. However, these pairs above David-Patidar are opening pairs.

These eight sixes smashed by David are joint-second-highest sixes by a batter from number five or below for RCB, tied with AB de Villiers' eight sixes against SRH in 2014 during a brutal 41-ball 89 while chasing 156 runs and nine sixes for Yuvraj Singh during his 29-ball 68* against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the same season.

RCB collected 159/2 between overs 11-20, making it the fourth-highest aggregate in the IPL during this phase. RCB holds this record, scoring 172/2 against the Gujarat Lions at Bengaluru in 2016, during which Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers scored centuries and put on a 229-run stand.

From overs 1-6, RCB got 51/1 at 8.50 RPO, followed by 102/2 from 7-15 overs at 11.33 RPO before going completely ballistic to get 97/0 from overs 16-20 at 19.40 RPO. 97 is the joint second-most scored by a team in Overs 16-20 in an IPL innings, alongside as many for DC vs GT in Delhi in 2024. RCB also holds the record, having scored 112/2 in this phase vs Gujarat Lions at this venue in 2016.

A sweet homecoming for Devdutt Padikkal

Paddikal, who slammed a 29-ball 50 with six fours and two sixes, has been on a roll since his return to RCB colours in the 2025 season. From his IPL debut in 2020 to 2024, which saw him play for RCB, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, his SR was 123.14 in 64 innings. Since his homecoming last year, he has made 358 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 163.47 at an average of 32.54, with four fifties. The climb in his strike rate by around 40 runs has been proof that the left-hander has brought into RCB's ultra-aggressive approach.

RCB's middle-order continues to flex its muscles

The RCB middle order, consisting of players like skipper Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, etc., has been on fire since the 2025 season, when they first won the title. Having used seven players in the middle over, from positions of numbers four to seven, the least among all teams is proof of growing stability within the team. Their strike rate of 170.02 is also the highest among all the teams since the 2025 edition among all middle-order groups, while their 75 sixes are second-highest among all teams behind DC (77 sixes). The middle-order has also found consistency, as evident by an average of 33.7, second-highest next to DC's 37.29. (ANI)