RCB aim to end home woes against struggling RR: Preview
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will host the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Despite a promising IPL 2025 season, RCB have failed to win on their home turf. They are undefeated in away games and sit in the top four of the league standings.
However, this home defeat is a challenge they need to address quickly as two out of their next three matches will be played at home.
Struggles
RR's recent performance and captaincy challenges
The latest team to visit Bengaluru, the Rajasthan Royals, are going through a rough patch.
They have lost their last four matches and endured two narrow defeats where they couldn't score nine runs in the final over against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Regular captain Sanju Samson is injured, leaving Riyan Parag as the interim leader.
However, Parag's form with the bat hasn't been as strong as it was last season.
Team dynamics
RCB's road success contrasts with home struggles
Despite their home struggles, RCB's unbeaten record on the road shows a team that has found its balance and confidence.
The players know their roles well and now need to bring things to execution
Meanwhile, RR are still trying to find their best XI. They still face questions about their batting depth despite the Impact Player rule, and an inconsistent middle order has often left them trailing in games they initially controlled.
Player focus
Key player matchups and team news
In their last encounter in Jaipur, Jofra Archer and Phil Salt engaged in a heated battle. Archer's relentless short balls were countered by Salt's aggressive batting style.
However, Salt has been dismissed early twice by Arshdeep Singh since then.
Riyan Parag, back from shoulder surgery and rehabilitation, hasn't been able to replicate his IPL 2024 breakout form.
The stand-in skipper will hope to bring some credibility in his game.
Home woes
RCB's batting and bowling challenges at home
RCB's three losses at the Chinnaswamy Stadium underline a major paradox of this season.
The team has trampled opponents across the country but faltered at home.
Their batsmen have looked strangely subdued, and their bowlers seem to have forgotten the lengths required here.
This is mainly because of the change in the pitch's character, which has offered some grip to bowlers but inconsistent bounce that has hampered RCB's batsmen after the Power Play segment.
Bowling woes
Rajasthan Royals's bowling struggles and team outlook
The Rajasthan Royals are dealing with their own set of issues.
Captain Sanju Samson will miss the match with an abdominal injury which also kept him out of a game against DC.
Parag will continue to lead the Royals in Samson's absence.
Their bowlers have struggled with penetration, failing to take wickets or control run flow effectively, leaving the team in need of a morale boost as they prepare for their match against RCB.
Probable XIs
Here are the probable XIs
RCB probable XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Impact Player: Suyash Sharma.
RR probable XI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag (captain), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande.
Impact Players: Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal.
Stats
A look at the key stats
RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored only 34 runs in his first three games. Since then, he has smashed four quick half-centuries in his last five innings.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Archer has done well in RR's powerplay, picking up six wickets in 17 overs at an economy rate of 8.2.
RCB are the only team in IPL 2025 who have conceded at an economy rate of under eight in the powerplay.
Information
H2H record between the 2 teams
The two teams have met each other on 32 occasions. RCB own 16 wins to RR's tally of 14. Two matches have not had any results.
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