Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been on quite the ride this season, winning three out of their four matches. They’re gearing up to face the only team yet to lose in the IPL 2025 – the Delhi Capitals (DC). Both teams managed to grab victories in their last outings, and they’re currently sitting near the top of the points table, making this matchup even more exciting.
In their recent match, RCB faced off against Mumbai Indians (MI) in what turned out to be quite the nail-biter. After losing an early wicket, the team didn’t lose heart. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal really set the stage for a solid total, paving the way for Rajat Patidar’s impressive fifty and a quick, lively innings from Jitesh Sharma. The RCB bowlers kicked things off strongly, grabbing crucial wickets early on. Suyash Sharma’s slowdown effort kept things tight as MI found themselves needing 123 runs off the final eight overs. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma gave it their best shot and showed some amazing hitting, but their dismissals at important moments meant RCB ultimately held on to win thanks to Krunal Pandya’s stellar three-wicket haul.
On the other hand, the Delhi Capitals had a smoother outing against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Batting on a sluggish Chepauk pitch, KL Rahul scored a solid fifty that helped DC reach a competitive score. Their bowlers then went on to dismantle CSK, sending half their team packing by the midway point. In a twist, MS Dhoni and Vijay Shankar chose to play it safe, trying to limit their defeat rather than chase for a win.
Now, let’s look at some exciting matchups to watch for in the RCB vs DC clash:
Faf du Plessis vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
First up, we have Faf du Plessis going against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The former RCB captain boasts an impressive record against the swing specialist with a total of 105 runs from 70 balls, and he’s only gotten out once!
Virat Kohli vs Kuldeep Yadav
Then there’s the showdown between Virat Kohli and Kuldeep Yadav. Kohli has been doing a great job of scoring steadily when facing spin, and he’s picked up 61 runs off 53 balls against Kuldeep, again with just one dismissal.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Wkt | 1 |
| Inns | 6 |
| 4s | 6 |
| 6s | 0 |
| Bat SR | 115.09 |
| Runs | 61 |
| BF | 53 |
| SR | 6.9 |
Kl Rahul vs Josh Hazelwood
KL Rahul will be facing off with Josh Hazlewood. In only his second game with DC, Rahul lit up the field with a stellar 77 off 51 balls filled with six fours and three sixes, proving his class even on a tough Chennai pitch. Meanwhile, Hazlewood has been a force for RCB this season, taking 8 wickets across 4 matches and holding a stellar average of 15.38. These two have had some very competitive matchups during IPL, with Rahul maintaining a strike rate close to 140 while Hazlewood has dismissed him just once. This will be an intriguing contest to keep an eye on.
Rajat Patidar vs Axar Patel
Another interesting battle is Rajat Patidar versus Axar Patel. Patidar, the captain of RCB, hasn’t had much luck against Axar. He has faced 13 deliveries from him, scoring only 21 runs and getting out once. This shows that Axar could pose a real challenge for him.
Phil Salt vs Mitchell Starc
Lastly, we have Phil Salt up against Mitchell Starc. Salt is known for his fearless batting right at the start of the innings, which makes for an explosive matchup against Starc’s dangerous left-arm pace in the powerplay.
So, as RCB prepares to take on DC this Thursday, cricket fans can look forward to these exciting individual matchups that could very well shape the outcome of the game!
