IPL 2025: RCB vs GT – Preview, Prediction, Starting XI and Where To Watch The Match LIVE

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to clash with the Gujarat Titans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, April 2. The two teams have met at this venue twice before, with each securing one victory.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Preview

On Wednesday evening, Bengaluru will witness a captivating spectacle as Virat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri, two of India’s most celebrated sports icons, will be playing within 2 kilometers of each other. This enthralling event has the traffic authorities orchestrating a seamless flow, ensuring that the city’s labyrinth of roads doesn’t hinder the fans’ fervor.

At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are preparing for their respective encounters, each team delving into its intricately woven strategies. The players are gearing up for range-hitting sessions in their halves, while the curator tends to the pitch, ensuring it’s ready for the intense battle.

Despite the Women’s Premier League (WPL) concluding weeks ago, the heat and dryness have left the pitch looking noticeably browner than usual. However, RCB will certainly not mind this, as they return home on the back of two straight wins. This marks just the third time in franchise history (after 2014 and 2021) that they’ve embarked on such a promising start. During this run, questions have been raised about the “home advantage” factor in Kolkata and Chennai.

In past seasons, the lack of home advantage might have been a significant hurdle for RCB. But this year, the tapestry seems to be reimagined. The Chinnaswamy ground was the crucible of RCB’s incredible push to the playoffs last year, winning three out of their last six games consecutively at home.

RCB now believes they’ve built a squad capable of transcending the challenges posed by these unforgiving pitches. With a strong pace attack, a defensive spinner with a clear template, and a deep, kaleidoscopic batting lineup, it’s their chance to prove that home advantage is more than just a myth.

Amid the deafening support for RCB, Gujarat Titans will certainly face their own challenges. The intricate interplay of combinations could beckon them to experiment, particularly with Jos Buttler potentially opening with Shubman Gill to add more momentum to their powerplay. There’s also an underlying sense that their middle order may be slightly undercooked, with Nos. 4 and 5 possibly being a tad too high for Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford.

With David Miller not retained and Rahul Tewatia not in the same scintillating form, there could be an over-reliance on their top order, which they’ll need to address. On the bowling front, however, their resources certainly appear capable of stepping up. The return of Prasidh Krishna to his home ground and Mohammed Siraj, who once called this venue his IPL home for seven years, adds experience to their attack. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan remains a threat capable of weaving his magic, regardless of whether the pitch offers grip or turn.

RCB’s return to Chinnaswamy is a moment rich with possibilities, but it also beckons the familiar challenge: can they overcome their home-ground struggles? Despite a solid start to IPL 2025, with two wins away, their home win rate below 50% remains a concern. In response, they have carefully reimagined their squad, bringing in skillful auction buys, particularly in the bowling department.

Mo Bobat, the RCB team director, reflected on the expectations surrounding the Chinnaswamy surface: “I think everybody knows what to expect from a surface here in Bangalore. It’s a good wicket, we know it’s a pretty short boundary, we know the ball carries and flies, so they’re typically high-scoring games… We’ve recruited a team that we think is pretty powerful, and we hope we can exploit those batting conditions. And we think we’ve got a bowling attack that’s particularly skilful and can handle the challenge of bowling here. We aim to attack here, but also defend.”

Currently sitting atop the points table with two away wins, RCB certainly face a tricky challenge on their homecoming. They will be eagerly waiting to see if their pre-season preparations and reimagined strategy come to fruition.

What will ease their nerves is the consistent form shown by nearly all their players in the opening matches. With role clarity strengthening their collective efforts, the team’s intricate structure seems to be clicking. Phil Salt’s firepower in the powerplay, spin-hitters in the middle overs, and a powerful finisher in Tim David provide a captivating batting lineup, while their bowling unit has looked solid so far. However, they’ll face a tough task against an in-form Gujarat Titans top order.

The visiting team, like RCB, appears well-balanced on paper, with a bowling unit that certainly complements their strengths. However, they’ll be hoping that more players hit their peak form and play up to their potential.

Siraj, affectionately known as ‘Miyaan’ or ‘DSP’ by RCB fans, now lines up for Gujarat Titans. He was RCB’s joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024. Anuj Rawat, Sherfane Rutherford, and Mahipal Lomror, all of whom once wore the RCB jersey, will now face their former franchise for the first time since leaving.

Since IPL 2023, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has seen the fifth-worst average and third-worst economy rate for legspinners. Under such conditions, RCB may decide to hold back Suyash Sharma and rely on Liam Livingstone and Krunal Pandya to take on the legspin duties. This would allow them to bring in either Swapnil Singh or Rasikh Dar as an Impact Sub.

With a 50% win rate at home since 2023, RCB ranks sixth among all teams. CSK and MI top the charts with win percentages of 64.70% and 60%, respectively.

Rahul Tewatia, known for his impressive ability, has faced fewer deliveries than he should, with his average dropping from 12.3 balls per innings in 2022 to just 5.7 in 2023, and improving slightly to 14.3 in 2024. With David Miller no longer part of the squad, there’s certainly a case for Tewatia to bat higher in the order to make full use of his skills.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Head-to-head

• Matches Played: 5
• Won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 3
• Won by Gujarat Titans: 2
• Tied: 0
• No Result: 0
• First-ever Fixture: April 30, 2022
• Most-recent Fixture: May 4, 2024

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The teams have not encountered much dew in the past couple of days. Mo Bobat, RCB’s director, anticipates a “typical Bengaluru pitch” with plenty of runs on offer. Interestingly, the 200-run mark was not surpassed once during the seven knockout matches of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s held here in December. The same trend was observed in the seven WPL games, where spinners managed to get some purchase from the surface.

There is a chance of rain in Bengaluru, and it remains to be seen how this will impact the playing conditions and influence the toss decision. Recently, seamers have found some assistance at the ground across different formats.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Team News and Predicted XI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Team News

There are no major concerns reported for RCB, except for the possible consideration of whether Suyash Sharma fits into their plans as an Impact Sub. It’s likely to be a close call between him and Rasikh Dar, who has enhanced his death-bowling skills.

RCB has little reason to alter a winning combination that provides solid balance. The contest between Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Gujarat’s formidable top order is one to watch. Hazlewood’s effective hard lengths have been successful in the IPL so far, but he could face his toughest challenge yet against players like Gill, Buttler, and Sudharsan, who have a strong record against this type of bowling. However, Bhuvneshwar has had success against them, dismissing Buttler seven times and Gill three times.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Predicted XI

1. Virat Kohli
2. Phil Salt
3. Devdutt Padikkal
4. Rajat Patidar (capt)
5. Liam Livingstone
6. Jitesh Sharma (wk)
7. Tim David
8. Krunal Pandya
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10. Josh Hazlewood
11. Yash Dayal
12. Suyash Sharma/Rasikh Dar

Gujarat Titans – Team News

GT will keep a close eye on Sai Sudharsan, who seemed to have injured his hamstring while fielding against MI. If he isn’t fit for the next match, Anuj Rawat could be called up as a replacement.

The top three batsmen have provided stability, contributing significantly in both games. Their strong performances allowed them to surpass 200 runs in the first game and come close in the next. On the bowling side, the spinners may face a tough challenge on a challenging ground against in-form batters. The match-up between Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, and Rajat Patidar—who is known for his excellent ability to hit spin—could make for an exciting contest.

Gujarat Titans – Predicted XI

1. Sai Sudharsan/Anuj Rawat
2. Shubman Gill (capt)
3. Jos Buttler
4. Sherfane Rutherford
5. Shahrukh Khan
6. Rahul Tewatia
7. Rashid Khan
8. Kagiso Rabada
9. R Sai Kishore
10. Mohammed Siraj
11. Prasidh Krishna
12. Ishant Sharma

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Players To Watch Out For

Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

After facing challenges with rhythm and stability at Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals, Devdutt Padikkal makes his return to RCB with a fresh focus on big-hitting from the outset.

This was evident in his quickfire 14-ball 27 against Chennai Super Kings, where he aggressively took on the spinners. Padikkal has been tasked with a role similar to the one Shivam Dube plays for CSK. Only time will tell if he can replicate Dube’s consistency in this new role.

Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans)

Shubman Gill has had a strong start to the season, boasting a strike rate of 173.17 after two games. Last year, his struggles in the powerplay and away games, where he averaged just 20.75 with a strike rate of 115.28, proved costly for GT.

However, he returns to a high-scoring venue, where he previously scored a blistering 104 off 52 balls in the last encounter between the two sides.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Prediction

Scenario 1

• Toss: Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the toss and bowl
• Powerplay Score: 60-70
• Gujarat Titans Total: 200-215
• Match Result: Royal Challengers Bengaluru win the match

Scenario 2

• Toss: Gujarat Titans win the toss and bowl
• Powerplay Score: 70-80
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru Total: 215-230
• Match Result: Gujarat Titans win the match

When and Where To Watch Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details

The Indian Premier League 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST on Wednesday, April 2, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and will also be available for live streaming on JioHotstar for FREE.

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