3 reasons why RCB can make the Chinnaswamy Stadium a fortress for IPL 2023

After more than three long years, the typical home-and-away fixtures are back in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last three seasons of the marquee league saw matches being played at only a few selected venues.

However, having the home support has given a plethora of boosts to all ten teams this time around. Consequently, as we have seen so far, five of the first six matches of IPL 2023 have been won by the home side.

There are certain teams who enjoy supplemental support while playing at their den, including the very own Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Faf du Plessis-led unit thrashed rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) in their opening game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, April 2.

With a resounding win on their back to start their campaign off, there is a huge chance that RCB could make their home stadium a fortress in the ongoing tournament. Here are three reasons for the same.

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#1 Crowd support is immense

The first match of the season at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium saw thousands pack up the venue with their loud presence. The crowd chanting player names and backing their team till the very last ball was a sight to behold.

Even the RCB unbox event where the franchise facilitated their legends - AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle - at the venue saw more than 22,000 people filling up the stands and giving great receptions to their players.

Their home support will provide RCB with some much-needed backing for the players that will certainly add to their advantage over the course of the season ahead.

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#2 Kohli and Faf's terrific form at the ground

With the arrival of Glenn Maxwell after an injury layoff and the unavailability of Rajat Patidar for the rest of the season, the responsibility of solidifying RCB's batting unit will once again be on their star players in Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli.

Fortunately for the franchise, the two have been in imperious form of late. Kohli has seen a resurgence in his form and has been letting his bat do the talking since the Asia Cup 2022. Faf, meanwhile, has also aged like a fine wine and has been a dangerous commodity for some time now.

Remarkably, both Kohli and Faf also boast a terrific record at their beloved Chinnaswamy Stadium. While Kohli has mustered 2,428 runs at an average of 38 at the ground, the former Protea skipper also averages a wondrous 82.5 across five IPL matches.

The two linchpins of RCB's batting unit will certainly look to make the most of their form and continue to dominate the opposition in the remaining six matches at the ground like they did in the opening fixture.

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#3 A perfect start to kick off their campaign

Another reason why RCB can make their home venue a fortress is that they have already tasted a near-perfect win to kickstart their IPL 2023 campaign.

A proper humbling awaited Mumbai Indians when they visited RCB's den on Sunday (April 2). While the bowling unit gave the home team a marvelous start, the batting unit made a mockery of the target and hunted down the required 172 runs with 22 balls to spare.

Bangalore currently has a win percentage below 50% at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. However, their victory over MI will definitely boost their self-confidence and may inspire them to remain unbeaten at home for the remainder of the season.