After years of struggling at home, RCB have compiled a team that can ace Chinnaswamy conditions

As they prepare to host Gujarat Titans in their first home game of this season, optimism is running high among the Royal Challengers Bengaluru faithful. After kicking out Chennai Super Kings for a play-off spot last season, they have now won at Chepauk for the first time in 17 years. For a long time, they have been the noisy neighbours, a side perennially at the receiving end of unfavourable home conditions. Since 2017, RCB have the worst home record with a win percentage of 44.12 highlighting their struggles at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
This season, the task won’t be any different. After starting their season with back-to-back wins in Kolkata and Chennai, they are confronted with small boundaries, flat deck and high altitude which sends the ball soaring – conditions that make the venue a graveyard for bowlers. Speaking on their vlog Bold Diaries, RCB head coach Andy Flower summed up what he expects: “Your job is to win the battle, doesn’t matter what the conditions are.”
In the past, RCB have struggled to build bowling attacks best suited to home conditions. But this is the season RCB have been preparing for since 2023. Having roped in the tactically astute Flower before the 2024 season, allowing him to get a feel of the conditions and the players, they compiled a balanced squad at the mega auction – something they have often been unable to do.
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To ace the home conditions, RCB have gone for aggression with the bat and caution and control with the ball.
“Everybody knows what to expect from the surface here in Bengaluru. We’ve recruited a team that we think is pretty powerful, with a batting line-up we hope that can exploit those batting conditions. And we think we’ve got a bowling attack that’s particularly skilful and which can deal with the challenge – not just attacking, but also defending here. So that’s been our focus from the moment we started assembling our squad. And the way we played in the first two games, we’re building good confidence,” said RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat.
Power is the way
At Chinnaswamy, tall scores have always been the norm and in this era of Impact Players, the venue is ideally suited to power-packed batting. With Virat Kohli being indispensable and providing solidity to the line-up, RCB have ensured there is enough depth in batting to play a brand of cricket that would put pressure on the opposition from the first ball. In their first two matches, the team has stuck to this approach, carrying on from where they left last season, with players who fit the mould.
L-R: RCB former captain Virat Kohli with current captain Rajat Patidar. (Sportzpics for IPL)
They have Phil Salt at the top of the order for impetus, for control they have Kohli, and Devdutt Padikkal brings in the left-handed element. To press the pedal in the middle order they have skipper Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone, followed finishers Tim David and Jitesh Sharma. This sort of depth and firepower is unprecedented in RCB, who for a long time were too reliant on the top three.Story continues below this ad
It meant that unless one of them batted big and at a quick rate, they often struggled to put up an above-par total to defend at home. However, the current batting line-up is capable of putting up totals that could be beyond the reach of opponents. It means opposition teams heading to Chinnaswamy will not just have an intimidating crowd to overcome but also a powerhouse batting unit.
Well-oiled machine
To overcome the best batting conditions in the league, RCB haven’t resorted to rocket science. Instead of throwing inexperienced bowlers at the deep end , they have valued experience and have gone for not just wicket-takers but those who can also provide control.
With the margin of error being small even for pacers, to make early inroads with the new ball – the best way to prevent teams from getting big scores – they acquired Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. That they can also be relied upon at the death to deliver yorkers means RCB have two key bases covered to succeed at home.
Since moving on from Yuzvendra Chahal, RCB haven’t had a frontline spinner who can rise above the conditions. Instead of going in search of a similar spinner, they got Krunal Pandya, who would be hard to get under and can dart in his flat, quick deliveries. For variety, they have Suyash Sharma and Livingstone.Story continues below this ad
All of it means that even if the opposition come to Chinnaswamy with confidence, RCB will not be pushovers. If these role-specific players ace their jobs at home, half the battle is won. If RCB can win five of their seven home games, they will be hard to stop this season.