RCB Sheds Home-Game Curse with High-Octane Win
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru finally rocked with excitement for the home crowd as RCB held their nerve in a nail-biter against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. For fans who’ve sat through heartbreak after heartbreak at home this season, this 11-run win felt like a sudden shift in the franchise’s fortunes. In front of a full stadium, RCB delivered on the promise they’ve been making all season—but previously couldn’t quite cash in.
Virat Kohli lit up the ground, unfazed by the pressure of RCB’s bleak home record. His 70 off 42 balls featured classic cover drives and aggressive intent, as he seized control early. The crowd was still buzzing from his strokes when Devdutt Padikkal joined him, and together they formed a 95-run stand for the second wicket. Padikkal combined grace with power, racing to 50 from just 27 deliveries. The runs kept coming even after Padikkal’s departure, with RCB looking far more assured with the bat than in earlier games at the Chinnaswamy.
After being put into bat, RCB worked through Rajasthan’s bowling, with only Sandeep Sharma finding some success (he grabbed 2 wickets for 45 runs, but struggled to contain the scoring). The Royals tried mixing up their attack, but Kohli and Padikkal rarely looked troubled. A late push saw RCB finish on a hefty 205/5, sending out a challenge that Rajasthan hadn’t faced in a while—taking on a pumped-up RCB with their fans behind them.
Hazlewood and Krunal Deliver Under Pressure
The chase never felt straightforward, though RR looked threatening at moments. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his way to 49 from just 19 balls, treating the crowd to a stunning range of shots in the powerplay overs. His aggression took Rajasthan close to the required rate. However, tension built once Josh Hazlewood found his groove, returning for critical spells when the Royals’ batting engine revved the loudest.
Hazlewood, fresh from injury, bowled with precision—nailing his yorkers and picking up four crucial wickets for just 33 runs. He sent down the kind of overs that test a batter’s nerve. When Dhruv Jurel threatened to take the game away with a measured 47 (off 34 balls), RCB turned to their all-rounder Krunal Pandya in the middle overs. His ability to break partnerships worked magic; he took two wickets for just 31 runs, strangling the Royals during their crucial push.
Towards the end, Rajasthan needed quick runs, but RCB’s fielding buzzed with energy, desperate not to let this home chance slip. The bowlers adapted smartly to the death—mixing up lengths and cutting down boundaries, forcing RR to play risky shots. At the final ball, Rajasthan had reached 194/9—just 11 runs short—leaving the home crowd in raptures and the players celebrating a long-awaited moment.
This win was about more than points; it flipped the narrative of RCB’s home season. After three straight losses at Chinnaswamy, doubts were everywhere—about their ability to defend, about confidence under pressure. But on this night, RCB not only bagged crucial points but also jumped to third place in the IPL 2025 standings, reasserting themselves as playoff contenders.
