Most franchises in the IPL have made their home venues somewhat of a fortress, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) can’t claim that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is their bastion. After all, out of 80 previous games in the IPL that have ended decisively at this venue, RCB have won 40 and lost as many.

Where RCB derive their strength from at the Chinnaswamy, instead, is from their legion of loyal fans who have stood by them through thick and thin for 16 years. The loyalists turned up in large numbers again on Monday for RCB’s first home game of IPL 2024 and were witness to a topsy-turvy first half that ended with Punjab Kings finishing with a competitive but not gigantic 176 for six.