Fortress Chinnaswamy: RCB eye hat-trick of home wins against inconsistent LSG

BENGALURU: Home is not just a place, it’s an emotion - and few teams embody that better than Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Win or lose, the defending champions have always felt the unwavering backing of their loyal fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Last season, after losing three home games while winning five away, Devdutt Padikkal had remarked, “The Chinnaswamy deserves some wins as well.” The very next match, RCB snapped that streak, edging Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs.

This season, however, the script has flipped. RCB have fortified their fortress with two consecutive wins and will look to make it three when an inconsistent Lucknow Super Giants side comes calling on Wednesday evening.

Since their final league win against LSG on May 27 last year, RCB have lost just once in seven outings — the only blemish being last week’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Wednesday presents Rajat Patidar and his men a chance to extend that run further.

The next 10 days could prove decisive in shaping RCB’s campaign, with three consecutive home games before they head on the road for the remainder of their fixtures, including two ‘home’ matches in Raipur against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.

At the Chinnaswamy, RCB have been relentless this season. They have both chased and defended 200-plus totals, with the mark breached across all four innings — a testament to the batting-friendly conditions.

That same surface could offer respite to LSG’s struggling batting unit. A total of 861 runs have been scored in two matches here this season, and the visitors — who have failed to cross 200 while batting first — will need to find another gear. Their top order has been inconsistent, with Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni all blowing hot and cold, while Nicholas Pooran is yet to fire in the middle order.

The spotlight will also be on Mukul Choudhary, who became an overnight sensation with a match-winning unbeaten half-century against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The key battle, however, could be between LSG’s Indian bowling attack, led by seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami, and RCB’s in-form batting unit. LSG’s attack could get a boost with the return of the express Mayank Yadav, who is in contention for a place in the XI.

For RCB, the sight of Virat Kohli batting in the nets has eased concerns after he did not take the field during Mumbai Indians’ innings on Sunday. However, there remains uncertainty over Josh Hazlewood, who did not travel to Mumbai for Sunday’s match and skipped training on the eve of the match.

Bowling inconsistency remains an area of concern for RCB. Jacob Duffy, after a promising start, has turned expensive, while Abhinandan Singh is yet to make a mark. The onus will once again be on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma expected to play a crucial role.

With momentum on their side and the crowd behind them, RCB will look to tighten their grip at home. But against an unpredictable LSG unit with firepower on both fronts, another high-scoring contest could well be on the cards.