The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on the Rajasthan Royals as they contest match number 42 of the IPL 2025 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, April 24. Both sides last met previously on April 13 in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where RCB achieved a handsome victory against RR, with RCB winning the match by nine wickets; while at present, RCB is in the comfortable fourth position on the points table, with Rajasthan struggling down at eighth.
RCB comes to this match after having just finished dispatching Punjab Kings (PBKS) by seven wickets. RCB put Punjab batting first and proved why it was the best to keep it only replying 157 runs for six wickets. Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma went on to do wonders with two wickets each in a match like this showing their bowling prowess. The chase was easy for RCB, ending the game with some margin in 18.5 overs. Kohli made a grand comeback with 73 runs, and his flawless partner in crime was Padikkal, having a good 61 runs from just 35 balls.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are pretty down in the dumps after having lost four matches on the trot. They would definitely want to change their fortune really fast. They were in a good position in their last two games against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). LSG had set a target of 181 for RR, who were coolly dashing towards the coveted score before faltering right at the end to finish with an amount of only 178 runs for the loss of five wickets.
Now that we are so excited about this clash, let’s see some interesting showdowns between the various players:
Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Josh Hazelwood
First up, we have Yashasvi Jaiswal going up against Josh Hazlewood. Jaiswal, a left-handed batsman, hasn’t had an easy time against Hazlewood, a right-arm pace bowler. In previous encounters, Jaiswal has faced Hazlewood with a total of 21 balls, managing to score 55 runs but getting out twice. This time, it will be interesting to see if he can turn the tables.
Nitish Rana vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Another is Nitish Rana against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Rana also has a tough history against Bhuvneshwar. He’s batted 37 balls against him, scoring 44 runs but being dismissed twice again. For Rana to bring RR a change in fortune, it is important that he gets runs against this bowler.
Riyan Parag vs Yash Dayal
Next, there would be Riyan Parag taking on Yash Dayal. It is also going to be interesting watching how Parag adapts to Dayal’s variations. Dayal looks like he will cunningly use really good balls during those middle overs to test currently ‘in-form’ Parag.
Tim David vs Wanindu Hasaranga
Another interesting clash is between an even bigger hulk present in international cricket, Tim David, and Wanindu Hasaranga. David might want to try a few hare-brained defenses attacking Hasaranga’s spin, and if he misjudges one’s line, it could cost his wicket and result in a major shift of the fortunes in the match.
Virat Kohli vs Jofra Archer
And who can forget the good old Virat Kohli versus Archer duel? After having a slightly rough start to the season, Archer has been in his superb nick as of late. He’ll be coming in hot, trying to rattle Kohli during those early powerplay overs. The fact that so far in this season, Kohli has faced Archer across four innings, scoring 30 runs off 26 balls has elevated the anticipation built around this contest.
