What led to RCB finally breaching Chinnaswamy in IPL 2025? Virat Kohli explains

Chinnaswamy has finally been breached, by the home team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, for the first time in IPL 2025. Sounds a bit dramatic, but a home victory was the only missing piece from a sublime-looking campaign for RCB this season. Before the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had played eight matches, winning five and losing three. All three defeats came at home, meaning that RCB won every away fixture. On the surface, fans termed it a jinx, as skipper Rajat Patidar hadn’t even won a toss at the venue. A deeper look revealed that the struggles stemmed from the batting order, which failed in every match at home. 

Virat Kohli reveals the plan that aided their first victory at Chinnaswamy in the RCB vs RR IPL 2025 match

As the RCB vs RR match took off, the toss result made it seem like the home team was fated to endure a similar outcome as the previous fixtures. Rajat Patidar lost the toss, and the interim captain of Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag, put the home team to bat first. However, the desperate crowd at Chinnaswamy witnessed their 'King' finally arrive at his fort. Before the match against RR, Kohli had managed just 30 runs across three innings at the venue. Otherwise, the batter was perched as the highest run-scorer for the team, with 322 runs at an average nearing 65.00. 

Moreover, skipper Rajat Patidar, a fiery presence in the middle order during away fixtures, had managed just 60 runs in three matches. To put it in perspective, before the RCB vs RR match, the highest scorer for Bengaluru at Chinnaswamy was Tim David with 119 runs, including the grace-saving half-century he hit against Punjab Kings in the RCB vs PBKS match. While bowling had fared comparatively well for RCB, the batting performances left much to be desired as victories continued to elude Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home.

In the RCB vs RR match, the batting order finally shaped up as the team picked their first win at home in IPL 2025. While Phil Salt departed early, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal forged a stable partnership to push the total past the 200-run mark. Already in sublime form with crucial roles in the chases against RR and PBKS recently, Kohli carried his form to Chinnaswamy this time. Known for his speed between the stumps, the former RCB skipper banked on his agility more than opting for the aerial route.

Devdutt Padikkal, meanwhile, maintained his rhythm as he charged to his half-century, the second in consecutive matches. The young pick, who debuted in the IPL with RCB, looks to have rediscovered his form upon his return to the Bengaluru den. Right from the start, Padikkal has contributed with impactful knocks at the No.3 spot for the team.

Moreover, the Kohli-Padikkal duo, with match-winning partnerships in the RR vs RCB and the PBKS vs RCB matches, is currently listed among the top positives for RCB in IPL 2025. While Padikkal fell to a nervy catch by Nitish Rana following his fifty, Kohli stayed put. After Kohli's departure following a 70-run knock, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David played impactful cameos as RCB breached the 200-run mark for the first time in IPL 2025 at Chinnaswamy.

While Rajasthan Royals, with notable contributions from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, threatened to hand RCB another defeat at home, Josh Hazlewood showed up just in time. In a death-over thriller, RCB won the fixture by 11 runs as the home curse finally broke for the fan favorites. Following the victory, Virat Kohli reflected on the factor that aided their victorious return to Chinnaswamy. The former skipper explained that RCB had decided one batter would anchor the innings while others fired around him. With his 70 off 42 knock, Kohli anchored for RCB as the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma fired to push the total past 200.

"We had average games at home. We discussed a few things as a batting unit. We applied ourselves to get that total on the board. The pitch wasn't that flat. The dew came in and the ball started coming onto the bat nicely in the second innings," Kohli said.

"We did look at the pitch in the second half. It becomes an advantage to bat second. We did well to get past 200. The template is simple. One guy to bat through and allow the others to attack. That's my role. Devdutt played really well and David finished it off. Today, it paid off," he added.