By Robert 
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has long been a fortress built for runs and roaring crowds. But in IPL 2025, it’s been anything but home sweet home for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Three home games, three defeats—each unraveling a pattern of self-inflicted wounds and tactical stumbles.
Against Punjab Kings, RCB folded for 94 in a 14-over contest. It was a pitch crying out for restraint, but the home side kept swinging and sinking. Ironically, Virat Kohli had anticipated one such dismissal early in Punjab’s chase—miming a top-edged pull and pointing to the exact fielding position for it. The plan nearly worked. But as symbolic as it was, that moment also summed up RCB’s season: smart ideas, poor execution.
A Blueprint Betrayed
Across three games in Bengaluru, opposition seamers have followed a repeatable script: bowl into the pitch at back-of-good length, lure cross-batted shots, and let the surface do the rest. RCB, however, seem to be the only team not reading the memo.
Take their last two outings at home:
- Against Delhi Capitals, seamers bowled 27 short-of-good-length deliveries and gave away just 26 runs for 2 wickets.
- Against Punjab, PBKS quicks bowled 47 deliveries in that same channel, conceding only 50 runs and picking up five wickets.
The pitch has offered grip and variable bounce. The plan has been to hit the deck and trust the wicket. But RCB’s top order, seduced by the past glory of Chinnaswamy’s flat tracks, keep swinging through shots that just aren’t there.
Mismatch of Approach and Conditions
This season, RCB finally ditched their conservative style in favor of a full-throttle batting strategy. But just as they embraced aggression and stacked their lineup with power-hitters, the pitch changed character. What used to be a paradise for strokemakers now demands a little patience and craft.
“Maybe it’s about pulling back a touch and giving yourself time,” said Josh Hazlewood after another disciplined bowling performance. “When the top five or six bat deep, we’ve seen that work.”
The irony is brutal. For years, RCB were accused of being too slow, too methodical. Now that they’ve corrected course, the environment has flipped. The reward lies in picking the right bowlers, the right moments, and the right shots—less blaze, more brains.
Small Margins, Big Costs
Yes, RCB have been unlucky too. Captain Rajat Patidar has lost all three home tosses, often forcing his team to guess a par score first. Weather interruptions haven’t helped either. But that’s cricket. What’s within their control is how they adapt.
Their failure to do so is costing them. Patidar, known for his strength against spin, has now fallen twice to it—once each to Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal—despite fast bowlers clearly being the bigger threat at home.
The paradox deepens. Marcus Stoinis, a Punjab batter, finished the game with the same pull shot that has undone RCB again and again. That, too, felt like poetic justice.
The Road Ahead
RCB sit mid-table. But had they won even one of their three home games, they’d be pushing for the top four. As Director of Cricket Mo Bobat said, there are no bonus points for home wins, but failing to capitalize on familiar turf means every away game becomes a must-win.
The upside? Four more home games remain, including a critical final stretch with three of their last four at the Chinnaswamy. There’s still time—but only if they learn, adapt, and execute.
Home is where the heart is. For RCB, it’s time it becomes where the wins are too.