IPL 2025 During Punjab Kings’ small chase of 95, Virat Kohli had some fun at slip. He used exaggerated gestures to signal to his captain Rajat Patidar, standing at mid-on, to move a deep fielder a little wider. Kohli then playfully mimed a bat swing and a high ball. The next delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar was short, and Prabhsimran Singh responded. Just like Kohli had imagined, the mis-hit ball floated and almost fell into the hands of Yash Dayal at deep square-leg, but dropped just short.
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IPL 2025 “Fast Bowlers and Clever Fielding Are Making Life Tough for RCB“
IPL 2025 Across three matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a clear pattern has emerged. Fast bowlers, with fielders at mid-on and mid-wicket, have left the space in front of square open, encouraging horizontal bat shots, with the pitch playing tricks. IPL 2025 RCB has fallen for it every time. In their last three home games, they’ve lost in similar ways, despite having a strong start to the season.
The numbers don’t lie. In their last home game, Delhi Capitals’ fast bowlers hit 27 back-of-good-length deliveries, giving away only 26 runs and taking two wickets. RCB’s Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, and Abishek Porel all got caught by this trap.
RCB Fails to Learn from Mistakes Against Punjab Kings
Yet, against Punjab Kings, IPL 2025 RCB didn’t learn their lesson. After being put in to bat, their top order faltered again, losing wickets quickly. Arshdeep Singh started with a full ball to Phil Salt, who hit it for four. But Arshdeep adjusted his length, and soon Salt was caught in the trap. Arshdeep then dismissed Kohli, who couldn’t clear mid-on with his pull shot. Liam Livingstone tried to force the pace by charging Xavier Bartlett but was caught. Krunal Pandya also failed with his pull shot.
The familiar sight of a mis-hit ball floating up and falling into a fielder’s hands has been all too common at the Chinnaswamy this season. In this match, PBKS pacers bowled 47 deliveries at a good or just back-of-good length, giving away just 50 runs and taking five RCB wickets. By the seventh over, RCB were already at 33 for 5, struggling to chase.
Much has been written about RCB’s confusion over the behavior of their home ground, and Josh Hazlewood summed it up well after the game: “It’s not the typical Chinnaswamy wicket. The bounce has always been there, but in the past, it was more consistent. If you hit the wicket hard on that six-to-eight-meter mark, it’s tough to bat on.”
To be fair, IPL 2025 RCB has had some bad luck. Patidar has lost all three tosses, forcing his team to set a target each time on a difficult-to-defend ground. But RCB’s problem is a paradox. In the past, they were criticized for not using their batting power enough on a ground suited for big totals, often relying on a steady anchor while their big hitters didn’t get enough time. Now, with a deep lineup and aggressive batting, they find themselves struggling on a pitch that might benefit from a more measured, slow-building approach.
Hazlewood Suggests For Patience to Secure a Win
“Maybe we need to pull back a bit, give ourselves some time,” Hazlewood suggested. “In the first two losses here, the team that won had one batter going big and building a partnership, scoring late. If we can get our top six to bat for the full 20 overs, we can win.”
For a team aiming to end their title drought, these two losses should be a wake-up call. As KL Rahul showed in his chase, runs can be made later in the innings if you pick the right bowlers, lengths, and shots. Even Tim David waited for his chance and hit Harpreet Brar for 21 runs in one over. RCB, however, stuck to their usual aggressive approach and ended up in difficult situations, like Patidar, their best spin hitter, falling to quality spin (from Kuldeep and Chahal) on a pitch where fast bowlers posed the biggest challenge.
Ironically, it was IPL 2025 PBKS’s Marcus Stoinis who sealed the win with the same cross-batted shot that has undone RCB this season. A fitting end to a familiar story.
IPL 2025 If RCB had won even one of their three home games, they could have been near the top of the table. They’ve performed well on the road, but as Director of Cricket Mo Bobat said, there are no extra points for home wins. Failing to make the most of home conditions puts extra pressure on away games, where teams must quickly adapt. IPL 2025 RCB has shown they can do that, but now they need to deliver by design.
The good news? They have four more chances in the second half of the season, including three home games in their final four. If they want to make the playoffs, they must learn to adapt and master their home ground.