Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals will square-off against each other in the 42nd game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on 24th April at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Match Preview:
RCB will be back at home after winning their last encounter against Punjab Kings. Although they sit in a comfortable position on the points table for now, they are still searching for their first home win of the season. The high-flying Royal Bengaluru side will be desperate to break this unwanted streak when they face a struggling Rajasthan Royals outfit at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium tonight.
They’ve now lost three games on the trot at home, unable to crack the right tempo while batting on their own surface. This has resulted in below-par totals in each of those contests, making it difficult for their bowlers to defend.
Despite their overall momentum, this home form has become a glaring concern. The three-time runners-up will therefore be keen to plug these gaps in the upcoming clash. A win at home, especially at this pivotal point in the season, could go a long way in boosting their confidence as they look to consolidate their playoff spot.
Meanwhile, things are looking bleak for Rajasthan Royals. Their performance has been on a steady decline, and they now sit at eighth place in the standings. If RR wants to stay in the race, they need to sort things out quickly before it’s too late.
Jofra Archer and Nitish Rana will be vital to any comeback attempt, while Riyan Parag rediscovering his spark could be the game-changer. With just six games left and playoff hopes slipping away, Parag needs to step up—not just for the team, but for himself.
Probable Playing XIIS:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma.
Rajasthan Royals: 1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Deshpande, 12 Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal.
Pitch and weather report:
Over Bengaluru, the skies have cleared, and the sun has been scorching on most days. Over the last two days, the ground crew has secretly covered the Chinnaswamy pitch with two layers of hessian.
This season’s conditions have been similar to those of 2017, when a drainage renovation resulted in low-scoring games and sluggish surfaces. Overall, both teams bring extensive local intelligence with them, and Rahul Dravid, RR’s head coach, is the person who knows the area the best. Who can read the signs the best is the question now.
Head-to-head record:
The head-to-head record between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League is closely contested. Out of 32 matches played between the two teams, RCB has a slight edge with 16 wins, while RR has won 14 matches. There have been 3 instances where the match ended without a result.
Prediction:
Although RCB is winless at home this season, the chances are high that they will break this curse today given Rajasthan has been in poor form.
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
