IPL 2025: RCB eye home redemption against RR at Chinnaswamy

Nothing: that is exactly what has gone right for Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home this season. The fan-favorites, still on the lookout for their maiden title victory, started IPL 2025 with a winning spree. Beating defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at their home, ending a 17-year-long drought to beat five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, RCB saw no stopping. That is, until the team headed to the iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium. Now, as IPL 2025 is swiftly approaching the halfway mark, RCB has ensured to keep up their dominance in away fixtures.

For the opponents to defy that dominance, it's a simple trick: to meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru. As the contest grows tighter, RCB winning at home would be the missing piece in their otherwise settled puzzle. The team, having won all their 5 away fixtures and lost all their three home fixtures, would hope to overturn the jinx when they meet Rajasthan Royals in the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 fixture.

RCB away from home, RCB at Chinnaswamy: A look at the stark contrast in IPL 2025

With 5 victories in 8 matches, RCB has kept a spot among the Top 4 at the IPL 2025 points table currently. All the five wins have come away from home in a commanding manner. However, the form that has curbed the likes of CSK, KKR, MI, and the high-flying Punjab Kings eludes the squad when they arrive at Chinnaswamy. Three matches at home, and RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, is yet to win a toss at the venue, let alone a match. A look at the team's performance at the home turf, which has not aided the batters so far in IPL 2025, presents the pit that the side falls into. However, with RCB playing as many as 7 matches at the venue, overlooking the jinx and the performance is not an option if they eye a favorable finish to the ongoing season.

Virat Kohli, with 322 runs in 8 innings, has poised himself as the highest scorer for the team in IPL 2025 so far. The former captain has led the chase against KKR, CSK, and most recently Punjab Kings in their backyard to script comprehensive victories for the team. However, the batter, who averages 64.40 overall, is yet to find his form at home. In a stark contrast to his onslaught outside, Virat Kohli has managed just 30 runs across 3 innings at Chinnaswamy at an average of 10.00.

Captain Rajat Patidar has accumulated just 60 in as many innings. A look at the batting order paints a clear picture where Tim David, coming in as a finisher, is the sole saving grace for RCB at home. With 119 runs in 3 innings, David is yet to be dismissed at home. Moreover, the finisher saved the side from failing their record of 92, the lowest-ever total made by RCB at home, in the RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 fixture.

The bowling department has fared comparatively better. With 5 wickets in 3 matches, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the highest wicket-taker at Chinnaswamy in IPL 2025 so far. However, with the batting order consistently failing to put up a par score, even a tight defence with the ball has not proved enough to avoid defeats at home. Now, as the contest intensifies, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have an ideal opponent to exploit as they return home.

Could Rajasthan Royals aid Royal Challengers Bengaluru to defy the home curse in the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 match?

Rajasthan Royals are heading to Chinnaswamy for the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 match sans their skipper, Sanju Samson. The captain sustained a side strain during the chase against Lucknow Super Giants. The injury that kept him away from the RR vs DC fixture has now ruled Samson out of the RCB vs RR match as well. Samson, along with Nitish Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal, was one of the only few in-form batters for RR this season. Now, RR will play under Riyan Parag against RCB at the pitch which has played against the batters this season.

While the likes of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar hold the precision to bundle Rajasthan Royals cheaply, RCB’s batting order would face a similar attack from Jofra Archer. If RCB, read Rajat Patidar, manages to lose another toss, RR could take the cake. However, a little positive could be predicted for the team that has failed to chase 9 off 6 twice consecutively. An already buried team, coming up hampered without their regular skipper, Rajasthan Royals could prove the ultimate stepping stone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they desperately look to defy the Chinnaswamy curse in the ongoing season.