Wed May 28 14:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Royal Challengers Bengaluru Break Past Reliance on Kohli, Power to Playoffs in IPL 2025

**Bengaluru, India – May 22, 2025** – The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, pulling off their highest-ever run chase against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). This victory marks a significant shift for the franchise, as they have finally broken free from their historical over-reliance on star batsman Virat Kohli and developed a formidable, well-rounded squad.

For years, RCB’s success has hinged on the individual brilliance of players like Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers. While Kohli continues to dominate, reaching over 600 runs this season for a record fifth time, the 2025 edition has seen an unprecedented number of players step up and deliver match-winning performances.

This season, RCB boasts eight different players who have claimed Player of the Match awards, a league-leading statistic. Crucially, these contributions have come from across the batting order, with the middle and lower order finally stepping up. Players like Jitesh Sharma, who redeemed himself with a match-winning innings against LSG, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and Krunal Pandya have consistently delivered crucial cameos and match-defining innings, solidifying the team’s depth.

The improved opening partnership of Phil Salt and Kohli has also played a pivotal role, exceeding previous standards for the team. Moreover, RCB’s middle order features a new level of power-hitting prowess, with Rajat Patidar and Jitesh boasting impressive strike rates.

This newfound batting depth and all-round contribution contrast sharply with RCB’s struggles in previous seasons. While they have consistently performed well at the top of the order, their middle and lower order historically lacked the consistency and firepower needed to close out games.

The current team is showing that depth is what is needed to win titles. With all of their improved stats compared to last years past and the addition of Josh Hazlewood back to the bowling lineup, RCB is looking to become an unstoppable force heading into the playoffs.

This newfound strength has positioned RCB as a serious contender for the IPL 2025 title, giving fans in Bengaluru renewed hope that this might finally be their year.

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