On April 2, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will host their first IPL 2025 home game when they play Gujarat Titans (GT) in the season’s fourteenth encounter at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Match Preview:
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) get ready for their impending match, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is a hive of activity. The heat and dryness have made the pitch browner than usual, and the curator has been working extra hours to get it ready. Considering their recent performance, this might work in RCB’s favor.
RCB is coming home after winning two straight games, something they have only done twice before, in 2014 and 2021. Their performances have sparked debate regarding Chennai’s and Kolkata’s alleged lack of home advantage. RCB is certain that this season will be different, though. With a solid batting order, a defensive spinner, and a powerful pace attack, they have assembled a formidable team.
GT will have to handle the difficult circumstances and thunderous fan support as RCB tries to demonstrate the value of home advantage. To improve their powerplay, they’ll think about a number of combinations, such as Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill together. Sherfane Rutherford and Shahrukh Khan may be batting too high, and GT’s middle order seems a little undercooked. Rahul Tewatia is not playing at his best and David Miller is no longer with the team, therefore GT might be largely dependent on their top order.
In terms of bowling, GT boasts a strong team. Mohammed Siraj is back at the location where he played for the RCB for seven years, while Prasidh Krishna is returning to his home field. The abilities of Rashid Khan will be extremely valuable, regardless of the pitch’s conditions.
Probable Playing XIIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma/Rasikh Dar
Gujarat Titans (probable): 1 Sai Sudharsan/Anuj Rawat, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Jos Buttler, 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna, 12 Ishant Sharma
Pitch and weather report:
Contrary to initial concerns, dew has not been a significant factor over the past two days. Regarding the pitch, RCB’s director, Mo Bobat, anticipates a “typical Bengaluru pitch” that will be conducive to high-scoring games.
Interestingly, recent tournaments held at this venue suggest a different narrative. During the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 knockout games in December, the 200-run mark was not breached in any of the seven matches.
Similarly, in the seven WPL games played here, spinners were able to extract significant turn and bite from the surface, indicating that the pitch may not be as flat as expected.
Head-to-head:
A total of 5 matches have been played with 3 won by RCB and 2 GT.
Prediction:
RCB is favourite to win the game given how they are performing recently.
Where to Watch
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
