After a string of lackluster performances at home, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally found their rhythm at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, securing a much-needed win over Rajasthan Royals (RR). Virat Kohli led the way with a composed 70, helping RCB post a competitive total.

Reflecting on their first home win of IPL 2025, Kohli said, “We had three pretty average outings at home. We addressed what wasn’t working, and today we applied ourselves better. The pitch wasn’t as easy as the score suggested, but we adapted well.”

Unlike previous games where RCB lost early wickets in the powerplay, this time they played cautiously and kept things steady. After Phil Salt fell in the seventh over, Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal stitched together a crucial 95-run partnership, taking RCB to 205 for 5.

“The batting template is straightforward,” Kohli explained. “One batter anchors the innings while others play aggressively around him. That’s my role. Devdutt knows this pitch well too. Salty gave us a good start, and we built from there.”

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar had recently urged the team to improve shot selection—a message that Kohli echoed. “In the past few games, we tried to force our shots too early. Today, we focused on timing, placed the ball into gaps, and made the bowlers err.”

Despite RR putting up a solid chase, RCB held firm, thanks largely to Josh Hazlewood’s excellent bowling at the death. Kohli admitted that 205 looked slightly under-par at one point, but said the team now has a stronger grasp of their batting game plan and will look to add 25-30 more runs in upcoming matches.

He also underlined the impact of the toss at their home ground. “Dew makes chasing easier here. We’ve lost four tosses in a row, which hasn’t helped. But we’re learning how to post good totals despite that.”

With three more home matches left, Kohli feels RCB have finally figured out how to use their home advantage—and are building momentum at the right time.