Vadodara, Jan 25 (IANS) After Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) five-match winning streak in the WPL 2026 came to a halt with a loss to Delhi Capitals, acting head coach Malolan Rangarajan made it clear that qualification alone is not RCB’s benchmark for success, stressing that the focus remains firmly on finishing at the top of the table.

DC registered a comprehensive seven-wicket win over RCB to jump to the second spot in the points table on Saturday evening.

“Qualification is important, but we are not here just to qualify. We want to seal the top spot. So brushing this result under the carpet isn’t easier just because we’ve qualified,” Malolan said in the post-match presser.

Rather than viewing the loss as a dent to confidence, Malolan termed it as part of the natural flow of a long tournament. “They’re all professionals. We need to understand what the conditions are. We need to find solutions. If we needed to win the next two games, I would, as coach, react the same way as I’d react now,” he said.

RCB were restricted to just 109 after being put in to bat. Chasing a modest target of 110, DC reached the finish line with 4.2 overs to spare, a result that lifted them to second place in the points table and boosted their Net Run Rate.

“You have to give credit where it’s due. DC did outplay us in all three departments today, be it batting, bowling and fielding. It wasn’t necessarily the easiest pitch to bat on, especially in the PowerPlay. We were kind of targeting getting about 140; it would have been plenty. And even with 110 there, we only have ourselves to blame today.”

RCB’s batting-order changes, especially involving Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh, have also attracted attention. Malolan clarified that the changes were driven by tactical clarity rather than form.

“We also have to make sure our resource allocation is at its best as much as possible. You’d rather have a game like this sooner than later,” he concluded.

–IANS

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