Bengaluru, April 6 – Former Chennai Super Kings batter Ambati Rayudu believes the team "stuck to a flawed plan" that ultimately led to a 43-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
CSK had a difficult time with the ball as RCB amassed a massive 250/3, thanks to a late onslaught from Tim David and Rajat Patidar, who added 99 runs in just 35 balls. Despite a spirited chase, the visitors eventually fell short, being bowled out for 207.
Analyzing CSK's bowling effort, Rayudu pointed out that the problem wasn't just the plan itself, but the inability to adapt when things started to go wrong.
"More than the flawed plan, they just stuck to it. There was no one to intervene and take a short break, to spend those 20-30 seconds, and then guide the bowler with a message. I think they should have slowed things down a bit," Rayudu told ESPNCricinfo.
RCB's late surge, which saw them score 97 runs in the final five overs, exposed CSK's struggles at the death. "Their follow-up balls after a boundary or a six aren't very good," Rayudu added.
"Generally, as a bowler, you need to be aware that, 'Okay, I've been hit for a six, but the next ball is what matters.' When you see good death bowlers, they always follow up with a very good ball. But their powerplay and middle-overs bowling were much better than in the previous game."
In contrast, Rayudu praised RCB's game awareness and ability to adapt dynamically to changing situations, which has contributed to their dominant run, including a fourth consecutive win over CSK. "RCB, meanwhile, are not letting anything pass by; they just want to control every scenario, every over," he said.