By BD Narayankar
Bengaluru, Apr 23 (UNI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru, riding a red-hot resurgence in IPL 2025, are eyeing a change in home fortunes as they gear up to face a wounded Rajasthan Royals outfit at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
With the business end of the tournament in sight, RCB's form, flair, and firepower make them the odds-on favourites, but a home jinx still lingers.
RCB's top-order has clicked like clockwork, with the ageless Virat Kohli orchestrating the charge. The 35-year-old has reasserted his supremacy with 322 runs at an imperious average of 64, including four composed fifties.
Phil Salt, with his fearless pyrotechnics, has proven the perfect foil — his 213 runs at a strike rate of 178 have injected tempo from ball one, and his 33-ball 65 against RR earlier in the season remains one of the standout knocks of the year.
Devdutt Padikkal has quietly stitched together an impressive season at number three, while RCB’s middle order — boasting the likes of Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Jitesh Sharma — has transformed into a finishing juggernaut.
David, in particular, has been RCB's ace in the hole: 142 runs at a strike rate approaching 195, and crucially, only dismissed once this season.
Jitesh Sharma has contributed not only with the gloves — nine catches so far — but also with meaningful cameos down the order. Liam Livingstone, though yet to explode with the bat, has chipped in with two wickets and continues to offer versatility.
With the ball, Josh Hazlewood remains the spearhead — 12 wickets in eight matches at a miserly economy. Krunal Pandya's allround contribution (10 wickets) has been vital, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal have lent reliability with the new ball and at the death.
But while RCB's squad reads like a winning formula, one nagging stat persists: they have lost all three home games this season — each while chasing. Chinnaswamy, once a fortress, has become something of an enigma. Thursday offers them a chance to rewrite that script.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, are in disarray. Four losses in their last five games have sent their campaign into a tailspin. The injury to Sanju Samson — ruled out with an abdominal strain — has delivered a punishing blow to both leadership and batting stability. In his absence, 22-year-old Riyan Parag takes over the reins, hoping to inspire a turnaround.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old sensation, remains a bright spark. His debut knock of 34 off 20 hinted at precocious talent, and with Yashasvi Jaiswal (307 runs, four fifties) anchoring the top, RR will hope the duo provides a flying start. But the middle order — led by Parag, Nitish Rana, and Shimron Hetmyer — has flattered to deceive.
Dhruv Jurel and Shubham Dubey have shown glimpses of promise, but RR’s real Achilles’ heel has been their toothless bowling attack. Wanindu Hasaranga's 9 wickets have come at an economy of 9.4, while Jofra Archer has oscillated between brilliance and disaster. Tushar Deshpande and Maheesh Theekshana have lacked penetration and consistency, managing just six wickets between them in their last four outings.
No RR bowler boasts an economy below 9 — a sobering stat ahead of a clash against RCB’s turbo-charged batting unit.
The Chinnaswamy pitch promises runs aplenty, with short boundaries and high altitude fuelling big totals. Historically, the chasing team has held the edge here — and that trend has held true in all three games this season.
The weather on match day is set to be clear and warm, perfect for cricket under the lights. The toss, as ever at Chinnaswamy, could prove decisive. Teams winning the toss will be tempted to bowl first and chase under the lights.
RCB are still firmly in the playoff race. A win here — especially at home — would be a symbolic and statistical breakthrough. For Rajasthan, it's more about damage control and salvaging pride as they try to halt a dramatic slide.
For the fans, it's a mouth-watering clash of narratives: a team in bloom versus a team in retreat, a fortress waiting to roar versus one needing refuge. Come Thursday night, Bengaluru will either break a home hoodoo or be haunted by it once again.
Match starts 7:30 pm IST.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Predicted Playing XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Rajasthan Royals Predicted Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.
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