RCB Join Growing List of IPL Teams Unhappy with Home Pitches

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have become the latest IPL team to express frustration over the state of their home pitch. Dinesh Karthik, the veteran wicketkeeper-batter, didn’t mince his words after RCB’s second straight defeat at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, questioning the nature of the tracks they’ve been handed despite requesting batting-friendly conditions.

“In the first two games, we have asked for good pitches. But it’s turned out in this way where it’s been challenging to bat on,” Karthik said during the post-match press conference. “So, we try to do the best with whatever we get.” RCB’s power-packed batting lineup has struggled to fire on sluggish, slow surfaces at their home ground, posting underwhelming totals of 169/8 and 163/7 in successive matches.  

Karthik hinted that the team management will soon take up the matter with the stadium curator, hoping to find a solution. “But we will have a chat with him (the curator). We trust him to do his job,” he added. “So, this isn’t a pitch that’s helping the batters too much. It’s a challenging pitch. So that has been the case so far in both the games that we have played.” 

Pitch-related complaints have become a hot topic this IPL season, with several teams openly voicing their concerns. Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit was among the first to raise a red flag about the Eden Gardens surface, suggesting it didn’t suit KKR’s strengths. A report in Sangabad Pratidin even claimed that KKR officials were so irritated after their narrow loss to LSG that one of them sarcastically said the curator should’ve been given the Player of the Match award. 

Chennai Super Kings haven’t been immune to this either. Stephen Fleming has publicly questioned the Chepauk pitches this season, while LSG bowling coach Zaheer Khan pointed out earlier that the Lucknow track seemed to favor visiting teams more than the hosts. With multiple franchises now voicing similar grievances, it's clear the debate around pitch preparation in IPL 2025 is just heating up. And for RCB, whose strength lies in their aggressive batting, sorting out home conditions could be crucial for their playoff push. 

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