RCB No.3 Strategy Comes Apart Again As Mayank Agarwal Falls in Familiar Fashion in IPL 2025 Final

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) might have been among the best batting units, but one issue persisted with them throughout the competition. Their No.3 couldn’t step up as consistently as the team would have liked, even if there were shades of brilliance at times.

Their No.3 has had the second-worst average (24.14) and strike rate (146.95) in IPL 2025, only behind the Rajasthan Royals (average of 23.23 and a strike rate of 145.19). RCB tried three different players – Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and Mayank Agarwal – this season but couldn’t get consistent results.

Their issues were exacerbated when Padikkal, who had started to settle in this role, was ruled out due to an injury, and Mayank Agarwal replaced him. Agarwal has 54 runs at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 131.70 in three outings at this number, with a best of 24.

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He failed again in the final against Punjab Kings (PBKS), as Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed him for the eighth time in 56 balls. Barring a few boundaries, Agarwal’s innings was rather scratchy, as he tried too much, only to score 24 runs in 18 balls.

Did RCB miss the trick by not playing Rajat Patidar at No.3?

RCB had different occasions when they could have slotted Rajat Patidar at No.3. However, they kept playing him at No.4 and gave him only two innings at No.3 this season, where he scored 37 runs at an average of 18.50 and a 148 strike rate in two innings.

Patidar has a fine record at No.3, accumulating 1416 runs at an average of 40.45 and a 155.26 strike rate in 39 innings. This includes 12 fifties and a century.

Even skill-wise, Patidar is among the finest batters in RCB’s unit and understands the tempo while batting at No.3. Hence, RCB should have used him more at this position when he has fetched results for them in the past, rather than searching for new options.

They could have done it after Padikkal was ruled out, even if not earlier. Unfortunately, they missed the trick and paid the price for this tactical error.

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