High-flying Royal Challengers feel at home in unfamiliar conditions

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning campaign in IPL 2025 was defined by its away form. RCB became the first team in IPL history to win all seven away league matches, recording victories at Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Jaipur, New Chandigarh, New Delhi and Lucknow. That consistency across varied conditions proved central to its run to the title, culminating in a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the final at Ahmedabad that ended an 18-year long wait.

The question entering IPL 2026 was whether that away success was a one-season wonder.

With two matches remaining in the league phase, Royal Challengers sit atop the table with 16 points, having once again relied heavily on performances away from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Unlike last season, the side has managed victories in only two of its first five away fixtures this year, though its adaptability outside Bengaluru continues to remain central to its campaign. Rajat Patidar’s men have won both their games at their second home venue Raipur.

Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 105 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Raipur also carried a significant personal milestone. The innings took him past 14,000 runs in T20 cricket. Kohli became the fastest batter to reach the mark, getting there in 409 innings and surpassing the previous record held by Chris Gayle (423).

Terrific record

Of those runs, 4,188 have come in T20 Internationals for the Men in Blue, while 9,145 have been scored in the IPL for Royal Challengers across nearly two decades with the franchise. He also became the first Indian batter to cross the 14,000-run mark in the format, underlining a career built as much on consistency and longevity as on strokeplay and run-scoring volume.

Royal Challengers face Punjab Kings at Dharamshala on Sunday with a playoff berth nearly secured and another strong away performance potentially decisive in shaping its route through the knockout stage.

Ability to adapt

The side’s ability to adapt quickly to unfamiliar conditions has increasingly become one of its defining characteristics across the last two IPL seasons.

That consistency has once again placed the franchise among the tournament’s strongest playoff contenders.