RCB’s Home Struggles Continue
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) woes at home refuse to go away. Despite flashes of brilliance on the road, they’ve now lost three straight games at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium—a venue once considered their fortress. The latest defeat, to Punjab Kings (PBKS), followed a familiar script: early batting collapse, misjudged strokes, and a surface that refuses to behave like the flat deck of old.
Same Trap, Same Mistakes
In all three home games, RCB have fallen into the same tactical trap—bowlers targeting back-of-length areas and setting fields to tempt risky horizontal shots. It’s worked like a charm for the visitors. Meanwhile, RCB continue to attack those deliveries head-on, despite consistent failures.
Against PBKS, they crumbled to 33 for 5 in seven overs. Arshdeep Singh and Xavier Bartlett applied the same formula that Delhi used successfully earlier: dig it in short, leave grass open in front of square, and wait for the mistakes. The result? Early wickets, little scoreboard pressure, and another home defeat.
Kohli’s Drama, No Delivery
Even Virat Kohli couldn’t resist adding some flair—mimicking a dismissal scenario before a delivery, complete with imaginary strokes and field signals. Ironically, the fielder missed the catch by inches, much like RCB have missed adapting to this new Chinnaswamy behavior all season.
Pitch Misreading and Stubborn Strategy
RCB’s mistake isn’t just technical—it’s strategic. The pitch has changed; it now rewards bowlers who hit the hard length and batters who build slowly. But RCB have gone all-in on aggressive batting, pushing from ball one, leaving no room for rebuilding once early wickets fall.
Josh Hazlewood admitted it bluntly: “It’s not a typical Chinnaswamy wicket… if you really hit the wicket hard on that six to eight metres, it’s quite tough to bat.”
Top-Heavy Approach, Bottom-Line Results
Patidar losing all three tosses hasn’t helped, but RCB’s rigid approach has been a bigger problem. They’ve built a deep batting lineup yet left no breathing space for innings construction. The result? Collapses before even getting out of the PowerPlay.
Meanwhile, other teams are reading the conditions better. KL Rahul played a calm chase. Tim David and Nehal Wadhera waited for the right moment before going big. RCB’s batters are trying to go big from ball one—and failing.
A Familiar Finish
Adding to the irony, it was Marcus Stoinis—of PBKS—who sealed the game with a cross-batted hit, the exact type of shot that’s been RCB’s undoing all season.
Mid-Table Mayhem Instead of Top-Tier
Had RCB won even one of their three home games, they could’ve been pushing the top of the table. Instead, they’re stuck jostling in mid-table congestion, needing away wins to keep playoff hopes alive. As Mo Bobat pointed out, “There are no extra points for home wins,” but losing at home only increases pressure elsewhere.
Looking Ahead
The silver lining? Four home games remain—three of them in the crucial run-in. If RCB want to finally break their title drought, they must adapt to their own conditions. Home mastery can’t be optional anymore. It’s time to deliver by design
Punjab Kings Triumph Over RCB in a Rain-Affected Thriller at Chinnaswamy
5 COMMENTS