Patidar calls on RCB batters to improve shot selection to end home losing streak

“Shall we make it quick, please?” Rajat Patidar asked softly, though with a sense of urgency, as he addressed the media for the first time since taking over as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain. The venue: Chinnaswamy Stadium—a fortress that’s been anything but this season.

In a brief but telling five-minute press conference, one word surfaced repeatedly: adapt. Alongside it came toss, conditions, and pitches—all central to RCB’s home struggles in IPL 2025.

RCB are yet to register a win at home this season, in stark contrast to their impeccable away record: five wins in five matches. At Chinnaswamy, the pattern has been painfully familiar. Lose the toss, bat first on tricky surfaces, suffer early setbacks, post below-par totals, and then falter in the field as dew skews the balance in favour of chasing teams.

The numbers underline the crisis. Only Liam Livingstone and Tim David have reached the 50-run mark in home games. The top six averages just 13.94 at home—the lowest among all teams—with a collective strike rate of 117.28, the second-worst this season. Away from home, those same batters have produced nine half-centuries.

RCB’s aggressive powerplay approach has proved costly on less forgiving home pitches. They've lost a wicket every 12 balls in the powerplay at Chinnaswamy, compared to once every 60 balls away. Their downfall has largely come from the extra bounce at home: of the seven powerplay wickets to pace, five have been to good-length deliveries and two to back-of-length balls. Against the latter, RCB's strike rate is a mere 58.06—none of those dismissals have happened away from home.

The latest example was against Punjab Kings in a rain-curtailed 14-over match. Sent in to bat again, RCB faltered: Phil Salt top-edged a bouncer, Virat Kohli miscued a pull to deep square, and both Livingstone and Krunal Pandya succumbed to short-pitched bowling.

When asked about RCB’s approach at home, Patidar acknowledged the challenges:
“Absolutely, you are right—the shot selection matters. The wickets have been two-paced and the bounce unpredictable. Bowlers are getting more assistance—dipping deliveries, extra bounce—so I think we need to focus more on playing behind square.”

RCB’s risk-taking has increased in these home games—perhaps a reaction to the uncertainty of what constitutes a defendable score. While attempting aggressive strokes, they’ve lost a wicket every five balls to pace at home. That figure extends to one every 21 balls away.

One bright spot has been Tim David, who has shown how to adapt. Striking at 185.93 at Chinnaswamy, his contributions of 32, 37* and 50* have been vital. “We’re a good team,” David said during the PBKS match in Mullanpur. “But at home, we’ve had three different surfaces in three matches. We’ve batted first each time, maybe over-attacked on pitches that weren’t true. Bengaluru hasn’t been the flat track people think it is this season.”

RCB’s fortunes might improve with a lucky toss against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, but Patidar knows better than to rely on coin flips:
“The toss isn’t in your control. What is, is how you respond to the situation.”

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