RCB Break Home Jinx: Kohli Shines Bright as Krunal and Hazlewood Seal Thrilling Win in Tata IPL 2025

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted in victory as RCB breaks the home jinx and registered a thrilling 11-run win over the Rajasthan Royals in the 2025 Tata IPL. After a vintage knock from Virat Kohli and impressive death bowling by Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally registered their first home win of the season, ending a frustrating drought for their loyal fans.

Kohli Wows with Classy 70

Kohli, yet again, was the center of this win. On a pitch that tested patience and skill, the knock is being hailed by fans and critics as the finest from the tournament so far. Coming in early after a brief outburst from Phil Salt, Kohli braved the venomous pace of Jofra Archer.

He weathered the early storm, ducking, edging, and smiling through some body blows from Archer and gradually built into his innings. Kohli showed his trademark flicks, pulls, and wristy drives while using the bounce and pace of the track to his advantage. His 70 off 42 balls not only stopped the rot but provided the impetus that RCB needed for posting a competitive score of 205/5. 

The brilliance of Kohli’s knock was accompanied impeccably by Devdutt Padikkal, who set himself free to go after every spinner and medium pacer, bringing up a quickfire fifty.

Archer’s Fire and Royals’ Missed Opportunity

And in that electric opening spell by Jofra Archer, he had Kohli unsettled with sharp bouncers and clever variations in pace. But the Rajasthan Royals not having a second bowler to keep up that pressure was a weakness. Besides, both Fazalhaq Farooqi and Tushar Deshpande bowled too full, which allowed Salt and Kohli to counter-attack. The spinners could not make good use of the early stickiness of the wicket, allowing the visitors to concede more runs than they would have liked.

RCB break home jinx—but not without drama

The response came from the Rajasthan Royals in the form of a fiery opening stand at the very start. Yashasvi Jaiswal came out swinging, hitting some fast boundaries and creating confusion among the RCB bowlers. With contributions from Nitish Rana and Dhruv Jurel, the chase went down to the final overs.

Krunal Pandya changed the course of the match, needing 96 runs with 66 deliveries remaining. At the moment the Royals were gathering speed, he introduced himself to clean up Riyan Parag on a slow and spinning delivery that afforded a top edge to the batsman. It was a few moments later that he caught Rana, who swept one such back-of-length ball to short fine leg. Pandya’s figures not only broke the rhythm of the Royals but also were willing to provide that breakthrough for RCB.=

Suyash Sharma, besides being a leg-spinner, also impressed during the middle overs by containing runs and keeping pressure with his variations.

Hazlewood’s Icy Finish

In those agonizing final moments, everyone was looking at RCB—how to handle the death overs. Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel counterattacked, letting Bhuvneshwar Kumar feel their bat for 22 runs in the 18th over, when RCB apparently lost their grip over the match.

Enter Josh Hazlewood. Calm, composed, and Clinical, the Aussie pacer got Hetmyer leg before with an inside edge, and then got Jurel with a full delivery executed wide outside off, slicing the ball to Jitesh Sharma behind the stumps. Yash Dayal had to defend 17 runs in the final over, and he did it excellently, conceding just 5 runs.

The match was won tactically as well as emotionally. More importantly, RCB breaks home jinx, releasing a massive weight off their shoulders as their Tata IPL 2025 season moves on.

This win not only puts two points on the table; it also brings the much-needed confidence into the RCB camp. Kohli’s form, Krunal’s match awareness, and Hazlewood’s nerve are all signs of a team meant to really push it in the Tata IPL 2025.

What This Win Means

The home crowd, which had waited a long time for such an occasion, erupted into a rapture of joy. And for the fans who have been quite closely following the tournament, this match only adds to the complexity of the Tata IPL 2025 match prediction, as RCB seems now to become a revitalized strength, especially at home.

FAQs

Q1. What does “RCB breaks home jinx” mean in the context?
It means that Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first match in their home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in the Tata IPL 2025 season after a long home losing streak.

Q2. Who was the star performer for RCB in this match?
Virat Kohli’s 70 laid the foundation for the victory, but significant contributions were made by Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood with the ball.

Q3. How did the Rajasthan Royals lose the match after a strong start?
Royals were well set in the chase; however, some vital middle-over wickets from Krunal and a brilliant 19th over from Hazlewood halted their momentum.

Q4. How is this win relevant for RCB in the Tata IPL 2025?
Psychologically, this win was important, broke their losing streak at home, and could be a launchpad for better things for RCB in the remaining part of the tournament.

Q5. How can this match carry an effect on Match Predictions in the IPL?
Now that RCB is regaining form and players are stepping up in crunch moments, future match predictions for RCB will now tend to lean in favor of RCB, particularly for games played on their home turf.