RCB vs KKR Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report: The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is renowned for its batting-friendly pitches, characterized by short boundaries and a flat surface that favors aggressive stroke play. However, recent observations suggest that the pitch’s behavior may vary, especially after being under covers due to weather conditions.
RCB vs KKR Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report Characteristics
Batting-Friendly Nature: The stadium is known for high-scoring games, with an average first-innings score typically around 170-180 in IPL matches. The flat pitch and small boundaries contribute to numerous sixes and fours, making it a paradise for batsmen.
Bowling Dynamics: Fast bowlers may find early swing in the initial overs, but the lack of movement later on makes it challenging to contain runs. Spinners, however, can become more effective as the pitch wears down, especially in the middle overs.
Impact of Weather: The humid conditions can cause the pitch to dry out quickly, and the dew factor during night matches helps the ball skid, further aiding batsmen.
Recent Observations
In the IPL 2025 season, the pitch has shown some variability. While it remains generally favorable for batting, there have been instances where the pitch’s behavior has slightly favored bowlers, leading to more balanced contests.
The much-anticipated IPL 2025 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been called off due to rain, resulting in no result and KKR’s elimination from the tournament.
Prior to the match, weather forecasts predicted cloudy skies with a thunderstorm in the afternoon, with temperatures reaching up to 28°C and humidity levels around 70%. These conditions led to the match being postponed, preventing any play.
As the match was not played, there are no player performances or scores to report. However, had the match proceeded, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium’s pitch—known for its flat surface and short boundaries—would have favored aggressive batting. Players like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis from RCB, and Andre Russell and Sunil Narine from KKR, are known for their explosive batting styles and could have been key contributors.
With the match called off, KKR’s hopes of advancing in the tournament have been dashed, and RCB’s position remains unaffected. The teams and fans now look forward to the remaining fixtures in the IPL 2025 season.
However, recent seasons—including IPL 2024 and early 2025—have seen subtle shifts in pitch behavior. Groundsmen have been preparing slightly drier surfaces to counter the excessive run-fests and offer something for the bowlers. In matches where covers have been on due to afternoon showers, early moisture has introduced seam movement under lights in the first few overs. This means teams winning the toss may now reconsider the automatic choice to bowl first, especially if dew isn’t a big factor.
The pitch at Chinnaswamy generally offers excellent bounce, which aids stroke play and also brings spinners with bounce—like Sunil Narine or Karn Sharma—into the game. But given the size of the ground, even mistimed shots can clear the ropes. Therefore, containment rather than wicket-taking often becomes the key strategy for bowlers.
For pacers, there’s some early swing during evening games if the humidity is high, but that window is very brief. Hit-the-deck bowlers can extract good bounce, but any errors in line are punished heavily. Bowlers like Andre Russell or Lockie Ferguson, if playing, can make use of the bounce for variations.
RCB’s power-packed batting line-up, featuring players like Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell, thrives on this surface. But KKR has historically been one of the better bowling units here, especially with spinners in the middle overs. If KKR plays an extra spinner or uses part-timers strategically to slow things down between overs 7 to 15, they could break partnerships that typically build quickly at this venue.
Overall, expect a hard surface with some grip for slower balls. Batting first and putting a total in excess of 190 remains a strong option—unless rain threatens to bring Duckworth-Lewis into play. With both teams having explosive hitters and death-overs specialists, this match could once again turn into a high-scoring contest, but with a few unexpected turns if bowlers adapt to the evolving pitch conditions.
Conclusion
While the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium continues to be a high-scoring venue, recent trends indicate that teams should be prepared for a pitch that may offer more assistance to bowlers than in previous seasons. Captains winning the toss might still prefer to chase, but they should be mindful of the evolving pitch conditions.
Also Read: Vizag Cricket Stadium Pitch Report – Balanced track favoring both bat and ball