The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have etched their name into the history books by achieving a feat no other team has managed in 18 years of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a remarkable 2025 season, RCB won all seven of their away matches, a first in an IPL campaign following the traditional home-and-away format.
UNBEATEN AWAY STREAK CREATES IPL HISTORY
RCB's sensational away record was capped off with a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at` the Ekana Stadium. This made them the only team in IPL history to go unbeaten on the road in a complete season, finishing with seven wins from seven away fixtures.
Previously, both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had recorded seven away wins in 2012, but neither side managed a clean sweep like RCB.
GROUP STAGE SUMMARY: STRONG FINISH SECURES TOP-TWO SPOT
RCB ended the league stage with 19 points from 14 matches, placing them second on the IPL 2025 points table for the first time since 2016. While Punjab Kings also finished with 19 points, a superior net run rate (+0.30) ensured they topped the table, pushing RCB to second place.
The top-two finish means RCB will get two opportunities to reach the final, starting with Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings on May 29 in Mullanpur.
STUNNING RUN CHASE ANCHORED BY JITESH SHARMA AND VIRAT KOHLI
In the match against LSG, RCB chased down a challenging target of 228 runs with eight balls to spare, marking the second-highest successful chase at the Lucknow venue. The chase was powered by a sensational innings from stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma, who smashed an unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls, including eight fours and six sixes.
Virat Kohli also played a vital role, scoring a fluent 54 and forging a solid opening stand of 61 with Phil Salt (30). However, the momentum briefly swung in LSG’s favor after New Zealand pacer Will O'Rourke took two wickets in two balls, removing Rajat Patidar (14) and Liam Livingstone (0) in a fiery spell.
Despite the stumble, Jitesh Sharma turned the game around with help from Mayank Agarwal, who remained unbeaten on 41 off 23 balls. The duo added an unbroken 107-run stand for the fifth wicket to take RCB home in style.
PANT’S HEROICS GO IN VAIN FOR LUCKNOW
Earlier in the match, Rishabh Pant delivered his best performance of the season, smashing an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls his highest score of the season after a disappointing run in earlier games. Bought for a record \$3.21 million by LSG, Pant's explosive knock helped his side post a formidable total of 227.
However, despite the batting brilliance, Lucknow’s bowlers failed to defend the target. O'Rourke, though picking up two wickets, had a forgettable outing, conceding 74 runs in his four overs, making it the third-most expensive spell in IPL history.
LOOKING AHEAD
RCB’s victory not only gave them an edge going into the playoffs but also made a loud statement about their title ambitions. They will now face table-toppers Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 1 for a direct ticket to the final. With momentum on their side and a historic away record in their pocket, RCB look better poised than ever to break their IPL title drought.
