🏏 IPL 2025 ~ 24th Match RCB vs DC at 7.30 PM🏏

🏏 IPL 2025 ~ 24th Match:

RCB vs DC at Chinnaswamy on 10th April, 7.30 PM IST 🏏

Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will lock horns against Axar Patel's Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match No 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With three wins in as many games, DC are currently placed at the second place, while RCB are at the third position on the points table.

RCB have mastered conditions as distinct as Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai and their lone stumble came at home against Gujarat Titans. It was more to do with a rather out of character Chinnaswamy pitch taking them by surprise than any sudden erosion in skills.

Royal Challengers Bangalore's in-form captain, Rajat Patidar, is expected to be a key player, particularly against spin. Delhi Capitals, therefore, will be looking to their left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, for a significant contribution. However, Patel has had a quiet start to the season, bowling only eight overs in three matches and failing to secure a wicket.

The fitness of Faf du Plessis will be a key factor for Delhi Capitals, after he missed the game against CSK. If he is fit to open with Rahul, RCB's new ball bowlers will have to be on their game from ball one.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Delhi Capitals have won the same number of games so far in IPL 2025. Delhi Capitals have not lost a game yet, while RCB, having played more away than at home, are yet to win at home. The burning question is - how do RCB adapt to their own home conditions and turn it to their advantage? For another game in a row, that's the big talking point. What has augured well for them in other conditions - an increase in aggressive intent with the bat - proved to be a thorn in the flesh at home when they faltered against Gujarat Titans, who in turn fared better with a more watchful approach with the bat albeit in more favourable conditions.

The question of assessment and adaptation will be in focus once again, and if RCB can marry their new-found intent according to what's needed, it could go a long way in their quest to find a firm footing at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. They showcased their adaptability and execution of plans well with the ball, in particular, against MI in their previous game which points to good form right through. It is that confidence that they would now try and carry into their home game as well.

Delhi, like RCB, have been blessed with good form shown by their key players in the early season. All of KL Rahul, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel have managed to carry the team through critical stages. Additionally the bluster of the younger players like Vipraj Nigam and Ashutosh Sharma have added more arrows to their quiver.

They too have the required know-how in the ranks for the conditions at play in Bengaluru and will be floating in the same boat when it comes to adapting here. Like RCB, another player who has found the right gears in T20 crcket with the aggressive approach has been KL Rahul. He looks set to go back to the middle-order role if Faf du Plessis gets back to full fitness. With the wins coming their way, it has also covered for some misfiring players like Jake Fraser-McGurk.

"I think the role that Jake plays in every side he's in, is high risk, but when he has his days out is what is the goal. For him, a great tournament will look like influencing and winning three or four games, and there's a lot of games to go. He's got full autonomy from all of our leadership. Ax [Axar Patel], in particular has doubled down on him just playing the way he plays and really taking the game on from ball one. A lot similar to what you'll see from the likes of Phil Salt and people like that. When you play that high tempo game, it's obviously high risk as well, but he does some things that not many players in the world can do," felt Matthew Mott, their assistant coach.

With form not a worry for either team, the challenge would be to carry it forward amidst the challenges posed by the conditions.

What to expect: The pitch, on the eve of the game, had a distinct green tinge to it. It is not the same one used for the game against Gujarat Titans but nevertheless has the characteristics to assist movement off the surface as was seen earlier in the tournament.

Head to head: RCB 19 - 11 DC

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injuries/Availability: There are no reported injury concerns for the team

Tactics and match-ups: The in-form Rajat Patidar has a reputation of being amongst the best spin-hitters in the game. Delhi Capitals may look to manage their overs of high-quality spin, from Axar and Kuldeep Yadav, smartly depending on Patidar's presence at the crease. Additionally another 50-50 question is the toss-up between Suyash Sharma or Rasikh Salam as their impact sub for home games. The former has been impressive in the 'away' games but conditions had called for Salam's presence in Bengaluru. Will they go the same way again or could form take precedence?

Probable XII: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam/Suyash Sharma

Delhi Capitals

Injuries/Availability: Faf du Plessis missed Delhi Capitals' previous encounter due to illness but is expected to be available for this match. He had a long nets session and appeared to do it without any concerns.T Natarajan too was taking part in the nets a day prior to the game, but it remains to be seen if he'd be fit and if DC would want to change a winning combination.

Tactics and match-ups: Krunal Pandya could be a match-up option in the PowerPlay, especially against Faf du Plessis who has a strike-rate of 124 against the left-arm spinner. RCB's middle-order has been firing this season, hitting more sixes than any other team so far. Their potential battle against Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc could prove to be action-packed.

Probable XII: Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma/T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar

Did you know?

- Virat Kohli averages 50-plus and has ten scores over fifty against the Delhi franchise in IPL

- Josh Hazlewood has a dot-ball percentage of 72.9 in the Powerplay in IPL 2025

- Sine 2022 in the IPL, no one has more wickets than Kuldeep Yadav's 40 in the middle overs (7 to 15)

Big picture: DC's spinner vs RCB's middle-order batters the big contest

In three of the last five seasons, since IPL 2020, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have won at least three of their first four games. Only once, in 2022, they came close to challenging for a top-two berth, but lost out to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on net run-rate despite winning nine out of their 14 games. None of those wins were at home, though - they didn't play there because of Covid restrictions.

RCB have long grappled with the home-advantage question long before it became a raging debate among teams in IPL 2025. The pitch, the altitude, the short boundaries - of which enough and more has been said over the years - make the M Chinnaswamy Stadium a bowlers' nightmare. And RCB hadn't really got their bowling right in all those years. They have this season.

Which is why their return to the Chinnaswamy for their second home game of the season, against Delhi Capitals (DC) - they lost the first against Gujarat Titans (GT) - coupled with an excellent start is being met with optimism by fans, who haven't forgotten the remarkable run of late results that took them into the playoffs.

DC schedule has been less hectic, with at least four days off between matches, allowing players as much time on the driving range as they have had at training. There's a relaxed vibe around the group that stems from being the only unbeaten team in the competition.

In Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul, they have two first-XI batters who know the ground inside out. Not to forget reserve batter Karun Nair.

They look well-rounded. They are playing as a team - no batter has scored more than 92 (Rahul), when the season's best at the moment is 288 and the bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc, have almost all chipped in. At this stage, DC look like the team to beat.

For RCB, their partnerships for the third to seventh wickets have turned their batting efforts around. Against GT here last week, for example, their Nos, 5-8 were largely responsible for ensuring they recovered from 42 for 4 to 169 for 8, 120 of which came in the last 12 overs.

This has largely been down to their handling of spin in the middle overs. RCB have three of the seven middle-order batters in this IPL who average over 40 while striking at more than 150: Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma and Tim David.

This facet could be challenged by DC - Kuldeep Yadav taken six wickets at an economy rate of 6.00, while they also have Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam to lend depth to their spin department.

New loyalty

Du Plessis, who became an RCB hero after leading them to two playoffs in three seasons (2022 and 2024), is now with DC. He was RCB's top run-getter in two consecutive seasons (2022 and 2023).

The big question

RCB have the second-lowest win percentage (50) at home in the IPL. Since last year, they have won four of their eight games at the Chinnaswamy. All their three wins so far this season have come away. Do they have the squad to win more than they lose at home?

Faf du Plessis, who missed the previous game, is being assessed for a groin strain, but DC assistant coach Matthew Mott said "he certainly looks like he's moving around a lot better from the naked eye without having to look at him." If he is fit to return, he will slot back in at the top with Jake Fraser-McGurk. This means Sameer Rizvi could miss out. Left-arm quick T Natarajan is nearing full fitness from a shoulder injury. If fit, he could come in for Mohit Sharma.

Delhi Capitals (probably XII): 1 Faf du Plessis/Sameer Rivzi, 2 Jake Fraser McGurk, 3 Abishek Porel, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Axar Patel (capt), 7 Vipraj Nigam, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mukesh Kumar, 11 Mohit Sharma/T Natarajan, 12 Ashutosh Sharma

The Impact Sub is likely to be RCB's only selection dilemma. Rasikh Salam, picked ahead of legspinner Suyash Sharma, struggled in their previous home game against GT, conceding 35 in three wicketless overs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable XII): 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/Swapnil Singh/Rasikh Salam