Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Indian Premier League, 2025

FOUR! Nitish Rana comes in and ends proceedings in style! Pitched up wide outside off, just not full enough. Rana takes a step back before leaning forward and powering it up and over extra cover for a boundary. Rajasthan Royals finish with 173/4 on the board!

Nitish Rana comes out to face the last ball.

OUT! CAUGHT! Devdutt Padikkal almost lost that in the sun but he holds on to it in the end. Full and right in the blockhole on leg stump. Shimron Hetmyer hangs back in the crease and clears the front leg to whip it away. The ball travels flat towards deep mid-wicket where the Impact sub for RCB, takes a good catch just to his left.

Goes short again, this time gets more bounce and gets it wide as well, Jurel slashes it up and over point for a single.

FOUR! No need to change the length and Bhuvi pays the price for it. Goes short and around off, Jurel has enough time to get inside the line and he pulls it flat into the backward square leg fence.

No timing on that one! Full and pushed well across off, Hetmyer stays back and reaches out, slapping it back over the bowler's head for just another single.

Full and straight, misses the yorker by a few inches but the ball tails back in and Jurel slogs it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Can Bhuvneshwar Kumar keep Rajasthan Royals under 170?

Full ad wide outside off, full enough that Jurel can't get under it. This is pummeled along the ground to long on for just a single. 15 off the over.

Full and wide, flirting with the tramline, Dhruv Jurel gets well outside off and hits it down the ground. The long off fielder tidies to his right but the batters do well to pick up a couple of quick runs.

Good delivery! Gets the straight yorker in right at the toes, Hetmyer is taken aback and just about manages to squeeze it out on the leg side for a single.

Full and wide, angling it across the batter, Jurel lofts it just wide of long off and picks up a single.

FOUR! Dayal comes over the wicket and bowls a short one right around the off stump, Jurel steps across to the off side and manages to hoick it away in between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg for a boundary. 10 off the first 2 balls.

SIX! Stand and deliver! Slower one, floated up, full and outside off. Dhruv Jurel picks the slower one, keeps his shape and just hits through the line, hammering it over long off for a biggie.

Short ball around off, Dhruv Jurel gets inside the line again and pulls it firmly to deep mid-wicket for a single. 10 off that over!

Full and wide, angling it away, Hetmyer has to reach for it and drags the slog to deep mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Misses the yorker and pays the price! Bhuvi ends up serving a low full toss on off stump, Hetmyer hangs deep, leans back and hits it flat and wide of deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

Full and outside off, Jurel takes a step to the off side and drills it down to long on for just one more.

Bowled short and into the pitch, wide of off, Hetmyer slaps it down to long off and turns the strike over.

WIDE! Hits the hard length and angles it down the leg side, Hetmyer looks to swing it away but misses. Wide called.

Bowled well short and outside off, Jurel walks inside the line and pulls it down to deep backward square leg for one.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-0-11-0)  comes back into the attack. Also, RCB use their impact player sub as Devdutt Padikkal comes in and Suyash Sharma goes out.

DROPPED! Virat Kohli of all people, would you believe it? A simple chance goes down and the number of dropped catches this season just keeps going up. Tossed up, full and around off, Dhruv Jurel looks to loft it across the line but ends up slicing it to long off where Kohli is a bit casual to come forward enough and ends up shelling it. A single is taken.

SIX! Picked up and dispatched! Another quicker ball from Suyash, bowled on a length and angled into the hitting arc. Jurel is quick to sit down and he just whacks it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Good length on middle and leg, Jurel waits back and flicks it away through the mid-wicket region and races back for the second run. Excellent running!

Tossed up on off and middle, Hetmyer leans on and strokes it down to long off for a run.

Dragged down around off, skidding across without much bounce, Hetmyer stays back and angles it away to short third.

Right in the blockhole, on middle and leg, Jurel takes the front leg out and jams it down to long on for a single.

Shimron Hetmyer walks out to bat at number five for RR. Also, Suyash Sharma will bowl out now.

OUT! LBW! Looks dead straight, and Josh Hazlewood has the last laugh here. Yashasvi Jaiswal has reviewed it, though. Speared in from Hazlewood from around the wicket, a bit full and right at the stumps. Jaiswal gets inside the line and looks to sweep it away on one knee but is beaten for pace, and the ball pings him on the front pad. The third umpire is called in, no bat involved, and Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. A huge wicket for RCB as Jaiswal departs for 75 (47), and RR are now 126/3 after 16 overs.

Good length at the stumps, worked away neatly through mid-wicket for a run by Jurel.

Fuller in length and outside off, Jurel looks to come forward and drives but mistimes it to the right of the point fielder.

Around the wicket now, bowled back of a length and outside off. Jaiswal stands tall and thrashes it away past the diving cover fielder for a single.

FOUR! Unlucky for the bowler! Banged in short and around off, Jaiswal backs away and gives it the full monty but gets a thick outside edge that flies down to deep third for a boundary.

SIX! That is cheeky from Jaiswal! Length ball from Josh, angling away from off, Jaiswal gets across and plays the falling lap shot, nailing it over fine leg for a biggie. This is where Hazlewood struggled in the previous game as well against DC, conceding 22 runs in an over.

Josh Hazlewood (2-0-14-0) comes back into the attack.

Short of a length and outside off, turning further away, Jurel leans back to cut but ends up jamming it down wide of the keeper.

Bowled flat and on a length around off, Jaiswal was it down to long on for another single.

Very full, around the leg stump line, Jurel looks to flick but misses and the ball pings him on the toes. The ball rolls to backward square leg as the batters sneak in a leg bye.

Halt. Dhruv Jurel has got hit on his helmet on the last ball as he went to sweep it. The physio has come out to check on him for a mandatory concussion test. He is good to play now.

Tossed up a bit, on a nagging length and around off. This is the wrong'un and it dips as well. Dhruv Jurel sits down to slog but gets a top edge straight into the side of the helmet. The physio will now come out for a mandatory concussion check.

Fired in full and flat around the fifth stump line, Jaiswal sweeps it on one knee and towards long on for a single.

FOUR! Up and away! Fuller one, darted well across the off stump, Jaiswal stays put and slices it away over backward point and the ball rolls away to the fence.

STRATEGIC BREAK! RR are gradually moving towards a good defendable score on this pitch, courtesy of the inning of Yashasvi Jaiswal as he is playing on 58 now. Though they have lost Riyan Parag just in the last over but they will be looking to go par 170 from here to give their bowlers a good chance. This pitch is holding up the balls a bit, and it is not easy to play on the up shots here. RCB need wickets, and that too in quick succession, but Suyash Sharma is struggling a bit with his line and lengths here. An interesting passage of play is ahead of us. Let's see, and with that, Suyash Sharma comes back into the attack.

Another back-of-the-hand slower ball, floated up full and wide. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to thrash it away but mistimes it slightly uppishly and to the right of cover where Liam Livingstone dives and makes a half stop. The batters take a single and Liam's reaction shows that it might have even carried. If so, then it is another big chance missed.

On a hard length on off and middle, Jurel gets inside the line of the ball and tucks it through mid-wicket for one.

On the fuller side and around off, Jurel leans on and plays it down with soft hands to backward point.

Back of a length and angling in from outside off, Dhruv Jurel hops back and dabs it down into the off side.

Dhruv Jurel will bat at number four for RR.

OUT! CAUGHT! Oh, that is a soft dismissal and Riyan Parag will be kicking himself. Around the wicket from Yash Dayal, a slower ball, into the pitch and well outside off. Parag's eyes light up but instead of smashing it away, he ends up just patting it flat towards extra cover where Virat Kohli takes a sharp catch around his face. End of a 56-run stand as Parag departs for 30 (22) and RR are now 105/2!

Full and angling into the batter, Jaiswal backs away to open up the off side and hammers it through cover for just a single.

Wow...what a heroic effort in the deep! That would have been the catch of the season so far. Flighted, full and on middle and leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal heaves it away towards the deep mid-wicket fence. Phil Salt times his leap to perfection to grab it while in the air. However, he realises that he could go over the ropes, so he throws the ball back inside. He certainly saved five runs for his team as the batters take one.

FOUR! Fine shot! Krunal Pandya fires one full and on middle. Yashasvi Jaiswal goes down on one knee to take it on the full and scoops it to the fine leg fence for a boundary.

Floated, full and on middle, Riyan Parag pushes it to short covers where a fumble allows one.

Flatter, full and on leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks it to deep mid-wicket for another run.

Tossed up, full and on off, Riyan Parag drives it to long off for a run.

FIFTY FOR JAISWAL! Second one of the season, but this will mean more because this is not an easy wicket to bat on. Short and on leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Change? No, Krunal Pandya will bowl out here.

Quicker, full and on off, turns away, Riyan Parag looks to guide it away but misses.

Short again and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal flicks it to deep mid-wicket for another run.

Shortish and on off, Riyan Parag punches it to long off for a run.

Flighted, full and on leg, Riyan Parag clips it to mid-wicket with soft hands and comes back for the second run.

Flatter, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal tucks it through mid-wicket for a single.

Fires one full but way outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal leaves it alone. Wided.

FOUR! Nicely done! Tossed up, full and on off. Yashasvi Jaiswal gets into position quickly and nails the reverse sweep through point for a boundary. He moves to 47 now!

Goes short and on middle and leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal backs away and cuts it to deep point for one.

Slows it up, full and on off, Riyan Parag turns it to the leg side for a quick single.

Quicker, full and on middle, Riyan Parag knocks it down the pitch.

SIX! BANG! Cracking shot! Shorter in length and on off. Riyan Parag picks up the length early, stands tall and whacks it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Floated, full and on middle, Riyan Parag blocks it out.

Tossed up, full and on off, Riyan Parag taps it to short covers.

A bit short and on middle, Riyan Parag nudges it through mid-wicket for one.

DROPPED AND FOUR! A simple chance goes begging here! This is short and outside off, Riyan Parag looks to cut it away but fails to keep it down. Yash Dayal, at point, makes a meal out of it as the ball goes away for a boundary.

Put down! A tough chance, though! Flatter, full and around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal goes down to sweep it away but gets a bottom edge behind. Before Jitesh Sharma, the keeper can react to the ball hitting him low on the pads and rolls away. They cross.

Floated, full and on middle, Riyan Parag knocks it down the pitch. Suyash Sharma lets it through for a run.

FOUR! Good shot! Suyash Sharma drags his length back, on off. Riyan Parag gets on top of the bounce and punches it sweetly through covers for a boundary.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal clips it through square leg for a single.

STRATEGIC BREAK! Rajasthan Royals have got a decent start in this afternoon match as they are 65/1 after nine overs. This pitch is not flat to score, so a score of over 160 should be their target. The skipper, Sanju Samson, threw his wicket away after getting a good start, but Yashasvi Jaiswal is looking well set here for a big score. Riyan Parag has joined him, and they both want to form a partnership here to give RR a good chance in this match. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been decent with the ball, as they didn't give away much in Powerplay. Krunal Pandya has picked up a wicket, and now they will look for more wickets as spin is looking threatening on this pitch. With that, Suyash Sharma comes into the attack.

FOUR! Gets it through nicely! Krunal Pandya pushes this through quicker, shortish and around off. Riyan Parag stays back, uses the pace of the ball and steers it through point for a lovely boundary.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Riyan Parag pushes it to short covers.

Fires in a low full toss, on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal drills it to long off for another run.

Quicker, short and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal stabs it down the pitch. Krunal Pandya dives to his right and stops it well.

Floated, full and on leg, Riyan Parag tucks it towards square leg for a run.

Flatter, short and on middle, Yashasvi Jaiswal swats it to long on for a single.

Nagging length and around off, Parag pats it down to cover point.

Short and around middle, Jaiswal nudges it to long on for one.

FOUR! THUMPED! Liam drags his length and bowls it outside off, Yashasvi Jaiswal stands tall and muscles it down the ground beating the long off fielder to his left for a boundary.

A low full toss, around middle, Parag pushes it to long on for one.

Tossed it up, around off, Jaiswal looks to loft it down the ground but mistimes it off the cue end of the bat to long on for a single.

Starts with a short ball and on the pads, Parag goes back and flicks it to deep square leg for a single.

Short and around off, Parag punches it to long off for a single.

Riyan Parag walks out to bat at number 3.

OUT! STUMPED! Sanju Samson has thrown away a start, and RR lose their first just after the Powerplay! Krunal bowls it short again and outside off, stays a bit low this one. Samson decides to go for it as he runs down the pitch and looks to slog it across. He is deceived by the lack of bounce, and the ball sneaks under his bat on its way to the keeper. Jitesh Sharma does well behind the wickets to collect it and dislodge the bails in time.

Short and around off, Jaiswal pushes it to long off for one.

On a nagging length, around off, Samson crouches and nudges it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Short again and a bit quicker, into the pads, Jaiswal turns it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Drops it short and around off, Samson backs away and punches it to wide long off for a single.

Josh bowls a yorker now, and wide outside off, Sanju extends his arms to slice it to deep point for a single.

FOUR! RR are getting a decent score in Powerplay, finally! Back of a length and around middle, Sanju Samson makes room and looks to pull it. He mistimes it but gets enough on it to clear the mid on fielder for a boundary.

Lands it full and around off, Samson drives it straight to mid off.

On a good length and around off, Jaiswal cuts it to deep point for a single.

Back of a length and around middle, Sanju presses back and makes room to punch it to the right of the bowler. Josh tries to stop it but gets his hand only on it and the batters run for a quick single as the ball rolls away towards mid on.

A mistimed shot! Josh bowls it into the pitch and on a length, around middle, Sanju Samson stands tall and lofts it down the ground. He mistimes it and the ball goes higher in the air than the distance. Tim David from mid on tries to go after it but the ball lands before him and the batters take two runs.

Leg bye! Hard length, around middle and leg, nips back in, Sanju Samson looks to flick it off the back foot but misses. The ball clips his front pad and rolls away towards cover point as the batters take a leg bye there.

Back of a length and around off and middle, Jaiswal presses back and half-pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Nagging length and around off, Jaiswal punches it to cover.

FOUR! Yashasvi Jaiswal is starting to open up now! Dayal, in trying to correct his length, drags it back and bowls it outside off. Jaiswal waits for it and opens bat face off late to guide it in the gap towards third man for a boundary.

SIX! WHACKED! Dayal overpitches it, just outside off, with pace taken off, Yashasvi Jaiswal clears out his front leg and launches it over the bowler's head for a biggie.

On a good length and around off, Jaiswal pats it down to cover point.

This is again on a back of a length, around middle, Samson uses his feet and mistimes his pull shot straight to mid-wicket. No run.

Short of a length and around off, Samson takes a step forward and ends up chopping it out to backward point. He wants to have a quick single but is sent back by his partner.

Nagging length and outside off, Sanju looks to cut it but misses.

Back of a length and around off, Jaiswal stands tall and cuts it to deep backward point for a single.

An appeal for caught behind but is turned down by the umpire! RCB aren't going for the review! Hard length and around off, Jaiswal looks to steer it to third man but the ball zips past the outside edge. The replays shows that it has clipped his front pad on its way to the keeper.

FOUR! Yashasvi Jaiswal greets Josh Hazlewood with a boundary here! Josh bowls it back of a length and outside off, Jaiswal waits for it and opens bat face off late. He gets off the outer half of the bat and beats the diving short third fielder to his right for a boundary.

Ends with a dot! Hard length and around off, Sajnu stands tall and pushes it back to the bowler. The mid off fielder moves to his right and stops it.

Full and around off, Jaiswal drills it to long off for a single.

BEATEN! Good comeback by Kumar! He drags his length a bit and bowls it touch outside off, gets it to swing away from the batter. Jaiswal looks to cut it to the off side but misses.

FOUR! GLORIOUS! Kumar overpitches it, around middle, right in the slot, Yashasvi Jaiswal prods forward and shows the full face of the bat. He drives it down the ground to the right of the bowler and beats the diving mid off fielder to his left for a boundary.

Nagging length and around off, comes a bit slower than the batters has expected it. Jaiswal waits for it and chops it out to cover point.

Back of a length and touch outside off, Sanju Samson hops up and steers it towards backward point. He beats the diving fielder to his left and gets a single there.

FOUR! AGGRESSION! Dayal lands it full and into the stumps, gets it to nip back in a bit, Yashasvi Jaiswal clears out his front leg and thumps it over mid on for a boundary.

Much fuller and around off, Jaiswal jams it out towards extra cover.

Had it hit the stumps, Sanju would have been a goner! Full and around off, Samson drives it towards mid off and runs off for a quick single. Rajat is quick to throw it to the bowling end before collecting it but he misses.

Full again and outside off, gets it to swing away, Sanju tries to drive it but gets a thick outside edge that goes to the left of short third. The fielder gets his left hand on it and the ball parries away behind the wickets. The batters take a couple of runs.

On a good length, and outside off, Sanju Samson drives it on the up uppishly and it goes to the right of short cover who puts in a dive to his left to stop it.

Starts with a full ball, touch outside off, a bit of outswing here, Sanju takes out his front leg ahead and drives it to cover.

Yash Dayal to bowl from the other end.

FOUR! Not much convincing, but Yashasvi Jaiswal will take it! On a good length, around off, Jaiswal dances down the track and flat-bats at it. He mistimes it off the high end of the bat and the ball goes to the right of the bowler for a boundary beating mid off to his left. First one for RR.

Hard length, on top of off, Jaiswal pats it down towards cover and sets off for a single but is sent back by his skipper.

Slightly on a back of a length, around middle, Jaiswal takes a step forward and shows full face of the bat to drop it down into the pitch.

Pitches full and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal comes forward and blocks it out.

On a good length and outside off, Sanju opens bat face and runs it down to deep third for a single to get off the mark.

Leg bye! Kumar begins with an inswinger, on a length but on the hips, Yashasvi Jaiswal misses his tickle shot and the ball clips his thigh pad and goes to deep fine leg. They run for a leg bye and RR are underway!

We are all set for the game to begin! The umpires make their way out to the middle followed by the players of RCB, who are in their changed green kit, celebrating the 'Green Day.' It will be the duo of Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the innings for RR. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside. He says that it is very hot out there but with a slight breeze. Adds that the square boundaries are 62 and 69 meters and the straight one is of 74 M. Says that there are few cracks, but there is some grass to bind it. Varun Aaron joins him and says that it looks like a really good batting wicket, but the spinners will get some help as well later on. He expects both the teams to score a lot of runs. Ends by saying that teams batting first have a slight advantage on this ground.

Sanju Samson, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, says they also wanted to bowl first but will not mind batting first. Adds that the wicket gets a bit better in the second innings, according to local information. Says that the competition is really high in IPL and there is no place for the doubt factor. Mentions that they have settled team and wants to back their players. Informs Wanindu Hasaranga comes in for Fazalhaq Farooqi.

The skipper of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajat Patidar, says that they are going to bowl first as the wicket looks pretty good and hard, and they want more clarity about the target. Adds that they have worn green jerseys today to raise awareness about the environment, and they are trying to educate people to plant more trees. Mentions that they have a good team who can play and win both away and home matches, and they are just looking to win today. Informs that they are playing with the same team.

Impact Players for Rajasthan Royals - Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Singh, Kumar Kartikeya, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kunal Singh Rathore.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (C/WK), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga (In place of Fazalhaq Farooqi), Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

Impact Players for Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI) - Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

TOSS - Rajat Patidar calls it right and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have elected to BOWL first.

The pitch in Jaipur is expected to be dry and slow, especially since this is an afternoon game, so spinners should come into play. Still, the surface will offer enough for the batters to make an impact if they apply themselves. RCB have an interesting trend, as they’ve won all their away games so far and lost both at home, so RR will need to be sharp, especially since they’re hosting this one. Both teams are hungry for a win, and this promises to be an exciting clash. Stay tuned, as the toss and playing XIs will be out shortly!

As for the Rajasthan Royals, their journey has been the opposite. After losing their first two matches, they bounced back with back-to-back wins but suffered a heavy defeat in their last game against the Gujarat Titans, failing to chase down 217. One of their key issues has been the inconsistent form of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who, despite scoring a fifty, hasn’t looked his fluent best. That has put pressure on their Powerplay performance. The middle order also tends to play with an over-aggressive mindset, which hasn't always worked in their favor. A more situation-based approach could help them find better consistency. On the bright side, Jofra Archer seems to be regaining his rhythm, which is a big boost for RR after his early struggles, especially against SRH. All players will need to play as a collective team to challenge RCB. 

RCB started strong with two convincing consecutive wins, but their campaign has been a bit shaky since then, losing two of their last three matches. In their recent loss against Delhi Capitals, their openers were on fire, smashing over 50 runs in just the first three overs. But a run-out of Phil Salt completely derailed their momentum, and they couldn't recover that explosive start. Their batting unit is certainly in form, but they’ll need to balance aggression with a bit more responsibility. On the bowling front, RCB started well against DC with three quick wickets, but once KL Rahul went after them, they looked lost and couldn’t adapt. If they can fix their mid-inning approach with both bat and ball, they’ll be a much more dangerous side.

Hello and welcome to the 28th match of the Indian Premier League 2025 from the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where the home team Rajasthan Royals will go head-to-head against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Both sides are coming off defeats in their previous match and will be eager to bounce back. RCB currently sit at fifth place on the points table with six points from five games, while RR are at seventh place with four points from their five outings. With the tournament heating up, every match now is a crucial step toward playoff qualification.

... MATCH DAY ... 

An action-packed double-header Sunday is set to conclude the week with a high-stakes clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where Rajasthan Royals take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in match number 28 of IPL 2025. With both teams dealing with some inconsistency, this game becomes crucial as they look to find rhythm heading into the middle phase of the tournament, where momentum can define campaigns. Rajasthan Royals have had a mixed season so far. After a tough start, they managed to notch up a couple of solid wins but faltered again in their previous outing. The batting has yet to fully click with Yashasvi Jaiswal struggling to make an impact, while Nitish Rana has not quite found his feet in the Royals’ setup. Sanju Samson remains the most consistent figure with the bat, while the likes of Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer have provided useful contributions in patches. The strength of RR so far has been their bowling. Jofra Archer looks in rhythm, and alongside Sandeep Sharma and Tushar Deshpande, forms a solid pace attack. The spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga have been effective, taking key wickets and applying pressure during the middle overs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, started the season brightly but have stumbled in two of their last three outings. A collapse in their previous game has left them desperate to bounce back. However, they can take confidence from the fact that all of their three wins so far have come on the road. The opening duo of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli has been in excellent form, giving RCB strong starts. Rajat Patidar has anchored the middle order well, and the side will be hoping for Liam Livingstone to rediscover his best form, which would significantly boost both their batting depth and bowling flexibility. RCB’s bowling has been a pleasant surprise this season. The pace unit led by Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal has consistently delivered, picking up early wickets and holding their nerve at the death. Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya have also chipped in with timely contributions in the middle overs to provide variety and control. Both teams enter this match on the back of defeats and will be eager to turn their fortunes around. With several match-winners on either side and both teams looking evenly matched, this contest promises to be a closely fought one with plenty riding on the outcome.