In a rain-marred clash at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered yet another heartbreaking defeat, falling to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 5 wickets in a shortened 14-over-per-side encounter on Friday. This loss not only marked RCB’s third consecutive home defeat in IPL 2025 but also etched their name in the record books for an unwanted milestone—no team has now lost more matches at a single venue in IPL history than RCB.
Evening showers delayed the start of the match, reducing the game to a sprint. Batting first, RCB stumbled early, reeling from disciplined bowling by PBKS. However, a fiery counter-attack by Tim David, who smashed a rapid 50 off just 26 balls including 4 sixes and 3 fours, offered a glimmer of hope. Despite his heroics, RCB could only manage a modest 95 for 9, a target that seemed under-par even in the abbreviated format. PBKS bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh with figures of 3/18, ensured regular breakthroughs to keep the hosts in check.
Chasing 96, Punjab Kings were in cruise control from the outset. Opener Nehal Wadhera played a composed yet aggressive knock of 33 off 19 balls, steering his side to victory in just 12.1 overs. RCB’s Josh Hazlewood fought valiantly with a stellar spell of 3/14, but the meager total proved indefensible against a determined PBKS batting line-up.
This latest defeat adds to RCB’s growing woes at their fortress, Chinnaswamy Stadium. With losses earlier this season to Gujarat Titans (by 8 wickets) and Delhi Capitals (by 6 wickets), RCB have now succumbed in all three home games of IPL 2025. More alarmingly, this result pushed their tally of home defeats at Chinnaswamy to 46, overtaking Delhi Capitals’ 45 losses at Arun Jaitley Stadium to claim the ignominious record of the most losses at a single ground in IPL history. Kolkata Knight Riders (38 at Eden Gardens), Mumbai Indians (34 at Wankhede Stadium), and Punjab Kings themselves (30 at Mohali) trail behind in this unenviable list.
As RCB fans watch their beloved team spiral into a worrying trend of home defeats, questions loom large over the franchise’s strategy and ability to turn things around. With the passionate Bengaluru crowd yearning for a revival, can RCB break this jinx and reclaim their pride at Chinnaswamy? Only time will tell, but for now, this unwanted record is a bitter pill to swallow for one of IPL’s most followed teams.