Statistically, RCB were superior across various aspects and winning different phases helped them remain ahead in the game.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were the best team in IPL 2025 across most metrics. They had a consistent top order, explosive lower order, solid spin attack, and an immaculate pace unit. More importantly, they all clicked together and formed a side for the ages, as RCB ended their 18-year drought.
Statistically, RCB were superior across various aspects and winning different phases helped them remain ahead in the game. That was also the plan while forming the team in the IPL 2025 auction. They had players for each role, and all of them were consistent for most of the tournament.
Their best work started right from the start of the innings. RCB were dominant with both bat and ball during the field restrictions, bossing the first six overs with ease. Overall, they had the fifth-best strike rate (154.07), with a balls-per-boundary ratio of 3.88.
But this doesn’t paint a clear picture. On comparing powerplay scores, it becomes clear that they consistently scored quicker than their rival team in most matches. RCB had a higher run rate than their opponent in ten of the 15 games.
RCB scored more than 10 runs per over in eight innings, while their opponents achieved the same figure only thrice while facing them. This also depicts their bowling heroics throughout the competition, especially with the new ball. RCB were clearly the best powerplay side as a bowling unit, and numbers confirm the same.
They had the most wickets (27), best average (29.11), best strike rate (20), best economy rate (8.73), highest balls-per-boundary ratio (4.42), and highest dot% (46.48%). Among all bowlers with at least 20 overs, Josh Hazlewood (7.27) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (8.03) had the best and second-best economy rate in the powerplay, respectively. Hazlewood also had the second-best balls-per-boundary ratio (4.88) and dot% (53.78), while Bhuvneshwar stood at the fifth spot in both metrics.
Now, combine this with two world-class openers, and RCB form a powerplay where they dominated with the bat and stifled the opponents with the ball. There were quicker scoring teams, but RCB achieved stability at the top, depicted by their average (46.22), while also maintaining a reasonable strike rate. Only the Rajasthan Royals (RR) performed better in both aspects simultaneously, averaging 48.83 and striking at 174.40, but unlike RCB, they couldn’t back it with the same bowling performance.
When RCB assembled the squad, their bowling attack didn’t seem to have middle-over specialists who could bring regular wickets. But again, several bowlers stepped up and combined to do the job consistently for the team. The spinners did a fabulous job in containing the wickets while taking occasional wickets, while speedsters were more of wicket-takers.
RCB’s spinners had the fourth-best average (35.38) and economy rate (8.54) in the middle overs. They also had the fourth-best balls-per-boundary ratio (6) and dot% (30.65). While these numbers are impressive, they again don’t show the real effectiveness of RCB’s slow bowlers.
Comparing performances with their opponents in each match shows that RCB spinners conceded fewer than their opposing team’s spinners in nine of the 15 innings. Additionally, RCB tweakers conceded less than nine runs per over as many as ten times, the joint-most with Delhi Capitals (DC).
But things don’t end just here. Pacers were equally pivotal in their middle overs domination this season, for RCB speedsters had the best strike rate (16.62) and second-best average (26.56) between the 7-15 over phase in IPL 2025. If spinners checked the runs’ flow, pacers brought regular wickets to give nothing to the opponent batters.
The toughest role in T20 cricket is batting in the lower order and providing impetus to the innings, but RCB batters nailed this role to perfection. From Jitesh Sharma to Tim David, all of them were consistent in an arduous job and ensured RCB got a big finish almost every time. RCB had the second-best strike rate (180.79) and balls-per-boundary ratio (3.68) in death overs this season.
The change came due to improved returns from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David, while Romario Shepherd kept the momentum from the last season. Shepherd struck at 291.66, Jitesh at 197.53, and David at 188.89 in slog overs. RCB had the most productive lower middle order in IPL 2025.
Among batters between batting positions 5 and 8, RCB had the best average (31.45) and strike rate (167.40). This tells two things: RCB batters were the most consistent in such a hard role and didn’t compromise their strike rate either. More importantly, Jitesh and David started quicker than they did in 2024, while the West Indies all-rounder again flexed his muscles.
In the first ten balls, Jitesh had a strike rate of 129, and David struck at 136.67 in IPL 2024. However, Jitesh’s strike rate in the same phase surged to 161.62, while David jumped to 161.29 this season – a massive change compared to the previous season. Romario’s strike rate remained nearly identical in both 2024 (271.43) and 2025 (270) seasons.
A lot of talk in this article has been about RCB’s bowling, and one man responsible for their marvellous turnaround was Josh Hazlewood. There were other performers, but Hazlewood has been miles better than them. He single-handedly lifted RCB’s pace attack from solid to world-class.
When Hazlewood played, RCB pacers collectively averaged 22.86 and conceded 8.91 runs per over in IPL 2025. However, when he was absent, the same pace attack averaged 41.36 and had an economy rate of 11.09. Remember the final two league games against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow?
RCB allowed SRH to post 231/6 and LSG to 227/3, as Hazlewood missed both games due to a shoulder injury. When he finally returned for Qualifier 1, RCB bundled the best batting lineup in the competition for 101. Hazlewood alone snared three wickets, dismissing big batters like Josh Inglis, Shreyas Iyer, and Azmatullah Omarzai.
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When Hazlewood was in the XI, RCB conceded 200+ only once in 12 outings. Without him, in all three innings. That’s the kind of impact Hazlewood had this season; he was RCB’s most impactful performer in IPL 2025, playing the biggest role in a title-winning season.
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