RCB Return Home Seeking- In IPL 2025, RCB has yet to experience the pleasures of home. They claim that the double losses at Chinnaswamy Stadium don’t worry them because they have won all four of their away games. According to Rajat Patidar, they now need to defeat one of the most potent powerplay units of the season in order to stop a two-match coincidence from becoming a three-match trend.
In IPL 2025, RCB has yet to experience the pleasures of home. They claim that the double losses at Chinnaswamy Stadium don’t worry them because they have won all four of their away games. According to Rajat Patidar, they now need to defeat one of the most potent powerplay units of the season in order to stop a two-match coincidence from becoming a three-match trend.
The RCB pace attack, in addition to their hitters, has struggled at the Chinnaswamy. Josh Hazlewood’s impressive totals of nine wickets and 8.65 economy may have been even better if he had performed better at home, when he took one wicket and had an economy of 12.1.
The Punjab Kings, RCB’s rivals, have a tonne of firepower up top. Among hitters who have faced at least 50 balls this season, Priyansh Arya (216) and Shreyas Iyer (205) have the highest and third-highest strike rates, respectively.
After defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) two nights ago with the IPL’s least effective defence, PBKS is coming to Bengaluru fresh off a thrilling triumph. Yuzvendra Chahal, who turned his season around with a four-wicket haul, was named the Player of the Match in that victory. Chahal, who spent eight seasons with RCB, continues to hold the record for most IPL wickets taken at this location.
Prior to their rematch on Sunday afternoon in New Chandigarh, RCB and PBKS, who are now ranked third and fourth in the league, will advance to 10 points, tying the Delhi Capitals at the top.
New loyalties
While Jitesh Sharma is currently at RCB, former RCB players Glenn Maxwell and Vyshak Vijaykumar are presently with PBKS.
Team news and likely XII
After defeating the Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets in Jaipur, RCB is probably going to stay the same.
RCB (probable): 1 Liam Livingstone, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Captain Rajat Patidar, 5 Phil Salt, 6 WK Jitesh Sharma, 7 Tim David 8 Pandya Krunal, 9 Suyash Sharma, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, and 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Josh Inglis was used in place of Marcus Stoinis in the last match against KKR, according to PBKS coach Ricky Ponting, because he was good against spin. PBKS will have to pick between the unproductive Maxwell and Stoinis if Inglis keeps his position.
PBKS (probable):Josh Inglis (wk), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsiman Singh, and Shreyas Iyer (captain) 5 Wadhera Nehal, 6 Marcus Stoinis/Glenn Maxwell, 7. Shashank Singh 8 Jansen, Marco 10 Xavier Bartlett, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Suryansh Shedge, and 9 Yuzvendra Chahal
In the spotlight – Padikkal and Maxwell
The troubles of RCB are reflected in Devdutt Padikkal’s performance at home (scores of 1 and 4). Padikkal, who returned to RCB after playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in 2024 and is currently positioned at number three, is enjoying role clarity and off-season practice on his T20 skills. This season, he has made 10, 27, 37, and 40 outs away from home.
For PBKS, Maxwell and Ponting’s reunion hasn’t gone as expected. He continued his dismal batting form from the IPL 2024, when he made 52 off 43 balls in nine innings before being released by RCB. This season, he has scored 41 runs off 41 balls in five innings, with a top score of 30. Even though he has lost four of his five innings this season to spinners, PBKS has benefited from his own offspin, which has yielded four wickets and an economy of 8.46.
Pitch and conditions
This season, the Chinnaswamy Stadium isn’t the bowlers’ cemetery it once was. In both games, RCB has failed to reach 170 runs when batting first due to the two-paced pitches that have been employed thus far. Although recent rain and colder evenings may perhaps alter that, the curator blames the delay on the excessive heat and low humidity.
Stats and trivia
- At the Chinnaswamy, Chahal has taken the most IPL wickets with 52.
- This season, PBKS has the highest powerplay run rate (11). In second place is RCB (10.4).
- In the most recent T20I series between India and England in January, Arshdeep Singh dismissed Phil Salt twice.
- This season, Hazardewood (5.4) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6.2) dominate powerplay economy rates, assisting RCB in setting the best dot-ball percentage at 50.9% during this phase.
