Rajat Patidar walked into the post-match press conference with an easy shrug. Royal Challengers Bengaluru had just fallen nine runs short of Lucknow Super Giants, their fourth defeat of the 2026 IPL, yet the skipper was hardly in a defensive mood.
“We are not playing with the mindset that we have to defend [the IPL title],” he said. “We are not playing as defending champions this season. We have the opportunity to become champions once again. We have to play an attacking game. We are not playing with a defensive mindset. This is a new season. What we did was in 2025.”
That stance summarises RCB’s approach to a campaign in which they remain third on the table with six wins from ten. The numbers mirror last year’s start, but the feeling is different: a little more on the road, a touch less fluent, and on Thursday night in steamy Lucknow, just “two shots behind”.
Key moments
• LSG 209 for 6 (19 overs); Mitchell Marsh 111 off 56 balls
• RCB 200 for 7; Patidar 61 off 31, Tim David 40 off 17
• RCB needed 20 from the final over, Digvesh Rathi leaked only ten
Patidar acknowledged that Marsh’s blistering hundred tilted the match early. “I will start with Mitchell Marsh. He batted well on this wicket, which was a good batting track. The way he started in the powerplay, I think he put pressure on us,” the captain admitted. “Overall, the way they started and the way we finished, I think I am very satisfied: the way we bowled, the way we controlled the game. We were two shots behind [in the end].”
Those words ring true if you look at the chase in segments. RCB stumbled to 45 for 2 in the powerplay, then lost three quick wickets while adding only 29. Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal counter-punched for 95 in 53 deliveries, but even Tim David’s late burst left too much for the final over.
Bowling review
There was still encouragement with the ball. The drizzle-induced stoppage reduced LSG’s innings by one over, allowing RCB’s seamers to reset plans. Senior coach Sanjay Bangar later noted privately that Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep missed yorker lengths by “bare inches”, the kind that make columns of difference on flat Indian pitches.
Travelling support
Next up, the so-called “home stretch” takes place in Raipur, a wrinkle created by renovations in Bengaluru. Patidar smiled at that quirk. “We never feel that we are playing an away game. I think this is the speciality of the RCB fans. They come and support us [everywhere].”
Perspective
Four defeats already equal last year’s total, yet the side appears calm. Analyst Anjum Chopra, speaking on host broadcast duties, thought it logical. “They’re third, their net run-rate is healthy, and they’ve still not had Faf du Plessis firing. They’re in a good place.” That balanced assessment sits well with the captain’s own words.
One season after lifting the trophy, RCB are not defending anything, at least in their minds. They are simply chasing the same prize as everyone else, armed with the memory that they have done it once before—and, perhaps, just a couple of shots short of proving they can do it again.
