Dinesh Karthik Criticizes Chinnaswamy Pitch After Consecutive RCB Losses at Home

Dinesh Karthik expressed strong dissatisfaction with the pitch at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. After Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost back-to-back home games in IPL 2025, Karthik raised questions about pitch preparation. The former India wicketkeeper, now RCB’s batting coach, said the team asked for good batting conditions but received tough, slow tracks instead.

RCB lost both games at home — first to Gujarat Titans and then to Delhi Capitals. They failed to post big totals in either game. In the match against GT, RCB scored 169 for 8. Against Delhi, they managed only 163 for 7. On both occasions, top-order batters struggled. The pitch lacked pace and bounce, making stroke play difficult.

Karthik’s Post-Match Comments

After the defeat to Delhi, Karthik didn’t mince his words. He directly addressed the issue at the post-match press conference.

“In both games, we asked for good pitches,” Karthik said. “But what we got were challenging wickets. There was very little pace and bounce. We want to give fans high-scoring games. But we can’t do that if the pitch plays this way.”

He confirmed that RCB will hold talks with the stadium curator. “We will definitely speak to him. We trust him and respect his experience. But these pitches haven’t helped our batters. Both games at home have been low-scoring. That’s not ideal for a team built on strong batting.”

Karthik, who played over 200 IPL matches before retiring last season, understands pitch behavior well. As batting coach, he stressed the importance of fair surfaces, especially in a format where scoring is key.

Chinnaswamy Losing Its Batting-Friendly Reputation

Chinnaswamy Stadium has long been known as a high-scoring venue. Short boundaries and true surfaces made it a paradise for batters. But this season has been different. Both matches played so far have seen sub-par totals. RCB, a team stacked with explosive hitters like Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green, has not been able to dominate at home.

Fans also appeared frustrated. They expected entertaining contests but got slow matches instead. Batting became a grind, and sixes were rare — a major shift from the Chinnaswamy of the past.

League-Wide Complaints Over Pitch Conditions

Karthik is not the only coach to speak out this season. Pitch quality has been a topic of discussion across several IPL venues. Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit earlier criticized the Eden Gardens surface. He said the slow pitch didn’t suit KKR’s style and affected their performance.

A report by Sangabad Pratidin, a Bengali daily, revealed friction between KKR and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). One CAB official jokingly said the Eden Gardens pitch curator deserved the Player of the Match award after a narrow loss to LSG.

In Chennai, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming pointed out similar issues. The Chepauk pitch appeared dry and hard to bat on. LSG’s bowling coach Zaheer Khan also voiced concern. He said Lucknow’s home pitch favored visiting teams more than the hosts.

What Lies Ahead for RCB

RCB will hope conditions improve when they return home for future fixtures. They’ve built their squad around power-hitters. For them to dominate, the pitch must allow stroke play.

Karthik’s strong comments may push the curator and local authorities to review pitch preparation. With more matches lined up, all eyes will be on how Chinnaswamy behaves in the coming weeks.

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