Ahmedabad, May 1 -- Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT), pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar defended teammate Josh Hazlewood's expensive spell in the powerplay and explained the team's tactical decision to not utilise spinner Krunal Pandya during the match.

RCB endured a difficult outing with the bat as wickets fell at regular intervals despite a steady start from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. The defending champions were eventually bowled out for 155 in 19.2 overs. In response, GT skipper Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler dominated the powerplay, with Gill particularly attacking Hazlewood early on, scoring 24 runs in his first over. The Aussie star conceded 49 runs in his three overs during the powerplay and ...