IPL 2025: Kohli and Hazlewood break RCB’s home slump as Royals botch another chase

At some point, you’d think the toss gods would show Royal Challengers Bengaluru a little mercy at home. But once again, the coin turned its back on Rajat Patidar.

This time, though, the bad luck ended right there as they posted 205 for 5, their highest score at home so far.

For all that, another heartbreak loomed, but RCB turned it around sensationally to clinch their first home win – and perhaps their most dramatic win at any venue – of IPL 2025.

The losing side were Rajasthan Royals, who came into this contest having let back-to-back games slip out of their control in the final over.

Their tension seemed to have defused when Dhruv Jurel, having scratched his way to 18 off 23, found his hitting range, and when he and Shubham Dubey ransacked 22 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over, the equation came down to 18 off 12.

Then came Josh Hazlewood.

He was ice-cold in the moment, producing a masterful 19th over of unhittably steep bounce – conceding just one run and taking two wickets, of Jurel and Jofra Archer in successive balls.

It was left to Yash Dayal, the same man who had held his nerve in a now-legendary last over to deliver their previous home win, against Chennai Super Kings last season. And he delivered as RR lost by 11 runs having had the chase in their grasp for so long.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium erupted. RCB had finally found their voice at home and, with it, a long-overdue win that put them in the top three. For RR, this was a fifth straight loss that left them on the brink. (ESPNcricinfo)