Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s report card for the 2025 IPL season makes for strange reading – Four wins out of four away from home, but they are winless in their own den so far. The two games they have played at home – against Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals – ended up in losses. So, what could have gone wrong for a franchise that seems like a well-oiled machine while travelling to other cities? How can they rectify a few of the mistakes that acted as a hurdle in the previous two games at the Chinnaswamy?
Toss factor
One of the reasons for RCB’s defeats could be the toss factor. In both the games, RCB had to bat first on surfaces that helped the bowlers to some extent. In the opening game at the Chinnaswamy, there was spongy bounce on offer, alongside a hint of seam movement up front. In the RCB-DC game, it felt as if the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat, especially during the early part of the match.
Unfortunately for RCB, as the match progressed, it perhaps got better to bat. Incidentally, in RCB’s second encounter at home, there was a brief spell of rain. That could have played a role in ensuring that it skidded onto the bat a little more. Having said that, the toss is an uncontrollable event.
What about RCB’s template up front against the new ball?
There are two ways to look at it. RCB were reduced to 42 for 2 in the seventh over, at the fall of Rajat Patidar’s wicket, against GT. The same batting line-up was 61 for 1 after 3.5 overs versus DC. Obviously, Phil Salt was the difference in the second game, as the right-hand opener blazed away to a 17-ball 37, before he was eventually run-out. The bigger worry for RCB is they lost wickets in bunches in both those games, which in turn derailed the innings.
The simple logic here is when recent history tells that the conditions could get better for batting, there is no harm in taking risks in the Powerplay. In other words, in such circumstances, it is better to get a small buffer of 15-20 runs while defending the target.
What about the pitches?
RCB’s buys at the auction table indicated that the think-tank was looking to build an explosive batting unit. The template was clear – Keeping in mind the batting-friendly conditions at the Chinnaswamy, pick players who play without fear.
The likes of Salt, Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Rajat Patidar and Jacob Bethell prefer pace on the ball. Even Virat Kohli, the mainstay of the line-up, would be pleased to bat on surfaces with even bounce. However, the two decks we have seen at the Chinnaswamy haven’t exactly turned out to be batting-friendly. Ahead of their game against Punjab Kings, the RCB camp would hope for a surface which encourages stroke-play and hitting through the line. On a side note, it is intriguing to note that RCB’s win percentage at the Chinnaswamy is below 46 per cent.
Can RCB break the jinx and usurp PBKS?
RCB and PBKS are placed third and fourth on the points table, having won four games each. With Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Shashank Singh in their ranks, PBKS too have a formidable line-up. PBKS also would be boosted by their come-from-behind win over Kolkata Knight Riders. But RCB are too good a side to lose three in a row at home, and they could just sneak in a victory in the cauldron of Chinnaswamy.