Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India]: As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gear up for their fourth home game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against a struggling Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday, all eyes will be on one man—Virat Kohli. The star batter has been in red-hot form away from home but has yet to deliver in front of the home crowd this season.
RCB currently sits third in the IPL 2025 points table with five wins and three losses. But there’s a stark contrast in their form: while they’ve been dominant on the road with five consecutive away victories, they’ve faltered at home, suffering three straight defeats. Each of these losses has come with the batters failing to post defendable totals.
A major talking point is Kohli’s home form, which has been far from his best. In his three innings at home this season, he has scored just 30 runs—7 (vs Gujarat Titans), 22 (vs Delhi Capitals), and 1 (vs Punjab Kings)—averaging 10.00.
In contrast, his away form has been phenomenal. Kohli has piled up 292 runs in five away games at an average of 146.00, including four half-centuries, with a top score of 73 not out.
Overall this season, Kohli has scored 322 runs in eight matches at an average of 64.40 and a strike rate of 140.00, putting him eighth in the race for the Orange Cap.
His last 10 innings at Chinnaswamy have yielded 370 runs at an average of 41.11, including two fifties and a top score of 83 not out. However, when compared to his last 10 away innings, the difference is stark—556 runs at a mind-blowing average of 92.66, with seven half-centuries.
As fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium prepare to erupt in support, the question remains: Will Virat’s bat finally roar at home and give the roaring ‘Sea of Red’ something to celebrate? Only time will tell.