Vadodara, Jan 25 (NationPress) Following the end of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) impressive five-match winning streak in WPL 2026, which was concluded by a defeat against Delhi Capitals, acting head coach Malolan Rangarajan emphasized that merely qualifying is not the ultimate goal for RCB. He firmly stated that the team’s ambition is to secure the top position in the standings.

On Saturday evening, DC achieved a convincing seven-wicket victory over RCB, propelling them into the second position on the points table.

“While qualification holds significance, we are not just here to qualify. Our objective is to achieve the top spot. Therefore, we cannot simply overlook this result because we have qualified,” Malolan remarked during the post-match conference.

Instead of viewing the defeat as a setback, Malolan described it as a normal occurrence in a lengthy tournament. “All players are professionals. We must comprehend the conditions and find solutions. If winning the next two matches were crucial, my response as a coach would remain unchanged,” he stated.

RCB struggled with a total of just 109 runs after being sent to bat first. In pursuit of a modest target of 110, DC reached their goal with 4.2 overs remaining, a result that not only elevated them to second place in the standings but also improved their Net Run Rate.

“We must acknowledge the fact that DC outperformed us in all aspects today: batting, bowling, and fielding. It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, particularly during the PowerPlay. We aimed for around 140 runs; that would have sufficed. With only 110, we can only blame ourselves today,” he added.

Changes in RCB’s batting lineup, particularly involving Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh, have also drawn interest. Malolan clarified that these adjustments were based on tactical reasoning rather than player form.

“We need to ensure our resource allocation is optimized as much as possible. It’s better to experience a match like this sooner rather than later,” he concluded.