RCB’s Struggles at Home Venue: A Curse Post 2016?

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been on a rollercoaster ride in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since their stellar performance in 2016, which coincided with Virat Kohli’s record-breaking season. However, their best sequence of results came between 2020 and 2022, where they made the playoffs every year despite not playing a single match at their home venue, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The absence of home advantage seemed to work in RCB’s favor as their bowlers, including Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, and Yuzvendra Chahal, found more help from the pitches in neutral venues. Their timely strikes and consistent performances helped the team reach the business end of the tournament, even though the batters did not have standout seasons like Kohli’s in 2016.

In recent years, playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has become a burden for RCB, despite the presence of their passionate fans. The team has struggled to secure wins on home turf, with their record at the stadium being less than impressive. Even in the current season, RCB has only managed to win one out of the four games played at home.

The situation has raised questions about the team’s performance at their home ground post-2016. The flat pitches prepared at the Chinnaswamy Stadium have not worked in RCB’s favor, as seen in their recent match against the Sunrisers.

While most teams look forward to playing at home, it seems like RCB might need to rethink their strategy when it comes to utilizing their home advantage in future seasons. As they continue their IPL campaign, the team will need to find a way to turn their fortunes around at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and make it a fortress once again.