Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru haven’t enjoyed coming home to M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru too much in this IPL 2025 season, having lost their last three matches here. RCB will be keen to turn their fortunes around at home with an eye on the IPL 2025 Playoffs as they take on Rajasthan Royals in match No. 42 on Thursday.
RCB’s three successive defeats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium stand out as one of the season’s biggest anomalies. While they have dominated across the country, RCB have faltered at home, unable to crack the code on familiar turf.
“We have not played good cricket in our home matches and you have talked about the toss, it’s not in my hand, so, let’s see. And this time wickets are a bit tricky and unpredictable over here, but that is not an excuse. So, we’ll try to adapt the situation and condition as quick as possible,” Patidar said in the pre-match press conference in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The batting unit, typically aggressive, has looked uncharacteristically hesitant, and the bowlers have failed to adjust to the altered nature of the pitch, which now offers noticeable grip and inconsistent bounce. This has led to modest totals at home — 169/8, 163/7, and a crushing 95/9 in just 14 overs — far below their scoring rate at other venues, where they’ve consistently gone at over nine an over.
Virat Kohli has been the standout with the bat, averaging 64, but the likes of Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and skipper Rajat Patidar need to step up, especially during the middle overs where the scoring rate nosedives due to the slowness of the surface.
RCB’s bowling hasn’t fared any better. Despite the pitch offering some assistance, they’ve struggled to find consistent lengths, failing to exploit home conditions. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s attack must quickly adapt or risk letting crucial games slip.
RCB currently sit third on the points table with 10 points, but they are joined by Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants on the same tally. Mumbai Indians, with eight points, could leapfrog RCB if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad — thanks to a superior net run rate (4.8 to RCB’s 4.7). A win is, therefore, essential for RCB to stay clear of a mid-table logjam.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are battling their own issues. Skipper Sanju Samson remains sidelined with an abdominal injury, and Riyan Parag continues to lead in his absence. The Royals languish at eighth with just four points from eight matches.
With playoff hopes hanging by a thread, RR need a complete turnaround, while RCB aim to end their home hoodoo and avoid getting caught in a four-way tie at 10 points.
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Excitement’s building for our home game against RR! Catch the 12th Man Army’s thoughts, only on… pic.twitter.com/4LZeDx86Z8
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) April 24, 2025
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 Match No. 42 Details
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Date & Time: April 24, 730pm IST onwards
Live Streaming and TV details: Star Sports Network and JioHotstar website and app.
RCB vs RR IPL 2025 Match No. 42 Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Dhruv Jurel
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag
All-rounders: Krunal Pandya, Wanindu Hasaranga
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jofra Archer
Captain: Virat Kohli
Vice-captain: Riyan Parag
RCB vs RR IPL 2025 Match No 42 Predicted 12
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal
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