Preview: RCB replaced at No. 3 on the points table with five wins and three defeats from eight matches. They are coming into this clash on the back of a resounding seven-wicket win against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Sunday. The Rajat Patidar-led side has not won a game at home this season. They would want to change that on Thursday and give their passionate fans moments to celebrate.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are all but out of the playoffs race. They only have two victories from eight games, and are stationed at No. 8 on the points table. Sanju Samson will miss the upcoming clash due to an injury, as Riyan Parag will continue at the helm. They suffered an agonising two-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants in their most recent fixture, which was held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Indian Premier League 2025, 42nd Match, RCB vs RR
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Date & Time: Thursday, April 24, 7:30 PM
Pitch Report: The M Chinnaswamy Stadium has traditionally been a venue where chasing teams have had an advantage. So far in IPL 2025, three games have been played at the iconic ground. RCB batted first in all three games and lost. The surfaces haven’t been as good as they usually are for batting. Especially in the first innings, balls have stopped on the batters. Getting off to a solid start in the powerplay without losing too many wickets will be crucial.
PROBABLE PLAYING XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (C), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande
