RCB stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma with SRH captain Pat Cummins at the toss. (IPL Photo)

NEW DELHI: Despite a comprehensive 42-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma remained optimistic, calling the loss a “good sign” ahead of the IPL 2025 playoffs.The high-scoring encounter saw Hyderabad, already out of contention, spoil RCB’s chance to top the points table. Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 94 off 48 balls, supported by a collective batting effort, took the Sunrisers to a massive 231/6. In response, RCB’s chase showed early promise through Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, but a middle-order collapse sealed their fate.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Jitesh, who led the team in Rajat Patidar’s absence, admitted that RCB were “rusty” and lacked the early intensity. Who’s that IPL player?“I think it was 20-30 runs extra. They played very well. I didn’t have any answers for their attack. We were rusty. The intensity was not there initially, but it’s good to lose this game. In the death, we were bowling more accurately,” he said post-match.He added that the timing of the defeat could prove valuable. “Sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check and analyse. After this loss, we’ve got a setback to check things again. We’ll move forward.”

Tim David’s injury during the final over of the first innings added to RCB’s concerns. Although the Australian bravely came out to bat despite a hamstring niggle, he was clearly struggling. “Right now, I haven’t met David because I was upset I got out,” Jitesh admitted.Choosing not to dwell on negatives, Jitesh emphasised RCB’s collective performance. “The positive things are that everyone’s chipping in. Losing this game was good — we are batting well. We will bounce back in a good way in the upcoming games,” he concluded.