RCB’s Home Woes Continue, but Padikkal Calls It ‘Coincidence’ Amid Strong Away Form

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been a team of extremes in IPL 2025, winning all five of their away games while slumping to defeat in each of their three fixtures at home. However, opener Devdutt Padikkal believes there's no deeper reason behind the contrasting results, putting the trend down to mere "coincidence."

After RCB’s commanding seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on Sunday, where Padikkal contributed a fluent 61 off 35 balls, the left-hander spoke at the post-match press conference about the team’s home troubles.

“To be honest, I think it's just coincidence that our five wins have come away from home,” Padikkal said. “But we have played some really good cricket throughout the tournament. I feel we have really gelled well as a unit and that shows. Each time we suffer a loss, we're immediately back up and we're winning games.”

RCB’s performances on the road have propelled them to No.3 on the points table. However, their inability to crack the code at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has raised questions. So far, RCB have batted first in all three home games, posting underwhelming totals of 169 for 8, 163 for 7, and 95 for 9 in a rain-shortened 14-over match.

“I don't think that's anything to do with the pitch, to be honest,” Padikkal remarked. “It's important as a batting unit to read the pitch quickly – I feel that's something we have not done as well as possible. We've not been up to the mark. But that's part of the tournament that the IPL is. It always has challenges. This is a challenge for us as a team – it's important that we find a way.”

He added that the team, rich in experience and talent, is committed to regrouping and devising a strategy to win in front of their home crowd. “The Chinnaswamy deserves some wins as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, PBKS, who have had mixed success at their home ground in New Chandigarh, struggled with inconsistency once again. After a bright start to their innings at 62 for 1 in the powerplay, their momentum fizzled out, and they ended on 157 for 6. RCB chased the target down with seven balls to spare.

PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting acknowledged the tricky nature of their home pitch. “The four games we have played here, each wicket has been slightly different. It just takes you a little bit of time to adjust,” he said. “When we batted first today, at the end of the powerplay, I was pretty comfortable at 1 for 62. But we lost wickets consistently – the run out didn’t help – and we lost momentum.”

PBKS are now 2-2 in New Chandigarh this season and will shift base to Dharamsala for their remaining home games.

As RCB prepare to tackle their Chinnaswamy challenge, questions remain whether their inconsistent home form could prove costly in the playoff race. For now, though, their impressive away record is keeping their campaign alive and their confidence high.