The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 42nd match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, April 24, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play the Rajasthan Royals in the 42nd Indian Premier League match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are placed third in the table with five wins and three defeats in eight matches. They defeated their last match against the Punjab Kings by seven wickets. They have lost all their home matches and want to correct their home record.

The Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are placed eighth in the standings with two wins and six defeats in eight matches. They were defeated in their previous match by the Lucknow Super Giants. It is set to be a closely contested game.

Match Preview

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB's top order has been instrumental in constructing a strong season. The team's leading run-scorer is Virat Kohli with 322 runs at 64. He has four half-centuries. He is the player to watch out for. Phil Salt supports Kohli with his aggressive play, scoring 213 runs at a strike rate of 178—the highest amongst RCB's top-order batsmen. Salt's enterprising 65 off 33 balls, which comprised five fours and six sixes, saw him take home the Man of the Match trophy in RCB's previous match against RR. Devdutt Paddikal will bat at number three. Paddikal made 61 runs off 35 balls in RCB's previous victory over PBKS.

Rajat Patidar will bat in the middle with Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, and Liam Livingstone. Patidar has scored 221 runs in seven innings with a strike rate of 151. Tim David has been crucial for RCB this season. He has scored 142 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 194.52. He was dismissed just once in that inning. Sharma and Livingstone both have a strike rate of 133. Sharma picked up nine balls behind the stumps, while Livingstone also picked two wickets with the ball.

Josh Hazelwood will spearhead the bowling attack with Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal. Hazelwood is their top wicket-taker with 12 wickets in eight games. He will be the bowler to target. Pandya bagged ten wickets at nine economy. Both Bhuvi and Dayal helped back Hazelwood, taking 15 wickets together.

Rajasthan Royals

The Rajasthan Royals had a rollercoaster season in the 2025 IPL, with plenty of new 14-year-old talent and patchy team performances. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was consistent, scoring more than 300 runs this season with four half-centuries, including a recent 74-run knock against the Lucknow Super Giants.

Indian international's consistent beginnings were added to by 14-year-old newcomer Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was the news of his first game with 34 runs from 20 balls as the youngest player to take part in the IPL.

Captain Riyan Parag spearheaded the team as he made 39 runs from 26 balls in a close two-run defeat against the Super Giants. Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel was a stable choice for the middle order. He has a personal best of 70 and an IPL career strike rate of more than 150. West India will be hoping to spearhead the team to a tried and tested outcome, particularly with his IPL strike rate of more than 150.

The Royals bowling effort has been patchy to date. Wanindu Hasaranga collected two wickets off Lucknow with frugal assistance from Tushar Deshpande, bowling 1 for 26 from four overs.

Pacer Jofra Archer, after a rough beginning in which he gave away 76 runs in four overs to Sunrisers Hyderabad, has demonstrated determination with a match-winning three for 25 against Punjab Kings. Sri Lankan Maheesh Theekshana has made his contribution with 32 wickets in his IPL career.

Pitch Report

The stadium is famous for its short boundaries and high altitude, but in IPL 2025, the games have been tougher than usual. Surprisingly, first-innings scores haven’t topped 170 this year. It’s worth noting that RCB has lost all three of their home games this season, and they’ve batted first in each of them.

Toss Prediction

In the 18 T20I matches held here, teams have each won nine times. This IPL season alone has seen three matches played at this venue, and interestingly, the chasing team has emerged victorious every time. The team that wins the coin toss typically opts to bowl first.

Weather Report

On matchday, fans can expect lovely sunshine at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 34 degrees Celsius. The winds will be coming in from the southeast at a gentle 8–15 km/h.

Head to Head

Royal Challengers Bengaluru came out on top in a nail-biting match against Rajasthan Royals, finishing with a score of 16-14. Earlier this season, RCB also claimed victory when these two teams faced off.

Venue Details

Mark your calendars for April 24, as the match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which can hold up to 40,000 spectators. This venue is a regular host for IPL matches, and it’s where Royal Challengers Bengaluru play all their home games, backed by a vibrant crowd of passionate fans who create an electrifying atmosphere.

Match Prediction

It looks like RR has missed the cut for the knockout rounds. With four losses in their last five matches, their chances are looking pretty bleak. Jaiswal is set to be the lone warrior for RR in Sanju Samson's absence. Unfortunately, none of the RR bowlers have managed to keep their economy rate below 9, which gives RCB a golden opportunity to take advantage of the Royals' vulnerabilities. Aside from Livingstone, every RCB batsman boasts a strike rate over 140. On the flip side, RCB has struggled at home, losing all three of their matches there. They’re all gearing up for a comeback, though. Last year, their win-loss record was a balanced 50-50. Maybe this match will be the turning point for RCB.

We’re betting on Royal Challengers Bangalore to take down Rajasthan Royals.

Betting Tips

RCB's inconsistency this season is clear from their fluctuating win-loss record. Their longest winning streak was just the first two games of the season, and they’ve never lost more than one match in a row. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are heading into this match with a confidence-shaking four-match losing streak. RCB holds a 56% win rate against RR, so it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Bet on RCB.

Probable Playing XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI

Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Key Players

Virat Kohli excelled in the previous game with a half-century against PBKS. Kohli has 322 runs so far and is the leading run-scorer of his team and hence our best bet for the next match.

Josh Hazlewood showcases his power in almost every game, adapting to the conditions promptly and grabbing key wickets for RCB. The Australian bowler claimed 12 wickets in eight 2025 IPL matches at a 20.17 average and a 14.42 strike rate.

Phil Salt had scored 435 runs at a strike rate of 182 in the last season. He will be the opening batsman of RCB and is a suitable choice.

Rajasthan Royals Key Players

Yashasvi Jaiswal is in his best form. He has hit three half-centuries in three games and is his team's highest run-scorer with 307 runs, and thus he is our first choice for the next game.

Wanindu Hasaranga has been a phenomenal performer for RR thus far. He picked two wickets in the previous match and is the top wicket-taker for his team with nine wickets so far, so he is our first choice for the next match.