Delhi Capitals (DC) wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul revealed that the Bengaluru pitch was a tricky one to bat on, and spending 20 overs behind the stumps during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) first innings helped him better understand the conditions.
Rahul, playing against his former franchise on his home ground, delivered a match-winning performance with the bat. After DC lost their top three batters early, he aimed to get a solid start and assess the pitch before accelerating.
DC managed to restrict a strong RCB lineup to 163. Armed with the insights from his time behind the stumps, Rahul used that knowledge to great effect, smashing an unbeaten 93 off just 53 balls and scoring more than half of his team’s total.
Wicket-keeping helped Rahul to read the pitch
“From wicketkeeping, I figured the ball was holding in the wicket a bit, but it was consistent — not two-paced, just one-paced,” Rahul said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “I knew my shots and wanted to be aggressive early, then assess the situation. When I looked to hit big, I knew exactly which pockets to target. Wicketkeeping gave me a sense of how others were getting out and how the pitch behaved. I did get lucky with the dropped catch. But this is my ground, this is home. I know it better than anyone else. I enjoyed playing here.”
Rahul has found a fresh, attacking rhythm in IPL 2025 with his new team. Prior to the RCB clash, he was asked to open against Chennai Super Kings and responded with a fluent half-century. Even his short but impactful knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad hinted at a new intent — a more aggressive, confident KL Rahul.