Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home troubles continued with a third consecutive loss, this time against Punjab Kings, who chased down a modest target with five wickets to spare at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. The match, shortened to 14 overs per side due to a rain delay, saw RCB post a paltry 95/9 after being sent in to bat.

Top-order batters failed to deliver, with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli falling to reckless pull shots inside the first three overs. Skipper Rajat Patidar’s brief cameo and Tim David’s late hitting offered some resistance, but the middle order – including Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Krunal Pandya – squandered their wickets cheaply.

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag didn’t hold back in his critique, slamming the team’s approach. “All got out playing careless shots. None were dismissed by quality deliveries,” he said on Cricbuzz. “Had someone shown composure and preserved wickets, RCB might’ve touched 110-120, giving them a fighting chance.”

Sehwag praised Punjab’s disciplined bowling, continuing their momentum from the win over KKR, but was scathing about RCB’s repeated self-destruction. “There’s a difference between taking wickets and being handed them,” he pointed out.

RCB’s bowlers fought to keep the game alive, but the meagre total proved insufficient. Sehwag called on captain Patidar to find answers quickly. “They can’t keep losing at home. The batting is a concern. Someone has to take responsibility.”

The two teams meet again in Mullanpur this Sunday.

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