🏏IPL 2025 - Match 28: RR vs RCB, 13 April 2025 @ 3:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 4

Less gooo RCB. Is it gonna work today too ?

RCB have a great chance to jump to a minimum of third place if they win today. They would dearly hope Livingstone comes to the party with the bat like he did against GT. If the middle-order supports the runs at the top, this team could be mighty tough with the bat in hand. RR need consistency with the bat if they are to be contenders for the playoffs. No doubt they will put RCB to a bit of spin test. Looks like Hasaranga could return to the side, which is a big boost.

The IPL caravan has reached the Pink City and we kick start with a royal clash between Bengaluru and Rajasthan. Both sides are locked in the mid table muddle after blowing hot and cold. RCB fans will be upbeat that is an away game for their team because of their wins so far have only been away from home. Just when it looked like the Royals were getting into a zone with successive wins, GT handed them a crushing defeat to keep the table pretty tight.

Virat Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma!

Another huge challenge awaits for Virat Kohli in the form of Sandeep Sharma who has dismissed him 7 times in IPL. That's the most by any bowler.

Can Kohli overcome his RR blues?

Virat Kohli has blown hot and cold this season, despite two half-centuries. However, his record against RR isn't too motivating either. He has scored 186 runs at an average of 46.5 and strike-rate of 145 including 2 fifties in IPL 2025. But, he has averaged just 30.6 against RR - the lowest for him against any team in his IPL Career. (min 300 runs). The challenge will only get tougher for him with RR's pace spearhead Jofra Archer back, bowling in full tilt

Captaining, being an opener and keeping wickets is challenging: Sanju Samson

After playing purely as a batsman and impact player in the first three games of the season, Sanju Samson will return as Rajasthan Royals captain for the match against Punjab Kings at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA International Stadium at Mullanpur on Saturday. Samson, who suffered a finger injury and underwent surgery, was cleared by the National Cricket Academy to play as wicket-keeper in the IPL.

“To be very honest, I was a bit surprised. I was like ‘Ho jayega teen match bahar baithna hai’ (I was thinking it will pass quickly as it’s only a matter of three games). But missing three games, I was just holding myself back and seeing the game from a different perspective. So, it was a bit of a different learning experience… to sit in the dug-out and see my brothers fighting it out there. So to be honest, I am pretty excited to be back and to be fully fit to keep wickets and to bat,” Samson said .

Spotlight, Samson

Despite the shambles of the batting order and his recalibrated role at the top, Sanju Samson stands as RR's highest run-scorer thus far this season. Samson had a fine run in Jaipur last year where he scored 272 runs at an average of 136 and a strike-rate of 156.32.

Throwback, when RCB bundled RR for 59 in Jaipur

It wasn't too long ago when a sandstorm and a whirlwind RCB bowling attack combined to pummel Rajasthan in Jaipur. In the IPL 2023 encounter between the sides, RCB put on a hefty 171/5 on the board before crushing Royals by 112 runs. RR bundled out for a paltry 59 in under 11 overs with Shimron Hetmyer's 35 almost single-handedly making up the abysmal team score.

I don't know whom to support.... May the best ones win..

Pitch Report | Deep Dasgupta and Varun Aaron: "It's the first game of the season here at Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur. It's an afternoon game, extremely hot, it's a little breezy as well. One of the bigger venues in the country - 62m and 69m square boundaries, 74m down the ground. Looks like a good wicket. Last year, there were two games here, one afternoon game as well, both games 190+. This ground has a good batting history for both teams. Virat Kohli got his hundred here last year. On this wicket, Sanju Samson has scored 150 runs and not been dismissed and Riyan Parag has an average of 60. Looks like a good batting wicket. If we go closer to the wicket, there are a few cracks, but there's a lot of grass to bind it. It's not live grass, it's dead grass but grass still, it's going to bind it. Looks like a really good batting wicket, could assist the spinners a little towards the second innings. All in all, a really good batting surface. I would back both teams to get a lot of runs on this wicket. Historically the team batting first here on this wicket has a better record. But it's a good wicket, it's not going to really matter if you bat first or second.

Pitch Report | Deep Dasgupta and Varun Aaron: "It's the first game of the season here at Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur. It's an afternoon game, extremely hot, it's a little breezy as well. One of the bigger venues in the country - 62m and 69m square boundaries, 74m down the ground. Looks like a good wicket. Last year, there were two games here, one afternoon game as well, both games 190+. This ground has a good batting history for both teams. Virat Kohli got his hundred here last year. On this wicket, Sanju Samson has scored 150 runs and not been dismissed and Riyan Parag has an average of 60. Looks like a good batting wicket. If we go closer to the wicket, there are a few cracks, but there's a lot of grass to bind it. It's not live grass, it's dead grass but grass still, it's going to bind it. Looks like a really good batting wicket, could assist the spinners a little towards the second innings. All in all, a really good batting surface. I would back both teams to get a lot of runs on this wicket. Historically the team batting first here on this wicket has a better record. But it's a good wicket, it's not going to really matter if you bat first or second.

Mustafa Moudi: "I know we have almost reached the halfway mark of the season, but still cant understand how come RR released Buttler and retained Hetmyer instead. Buttler is consistent, can bat anywhere in the Top 4, Can Keep, Can Lead.... A Huge Blunder by the RR Management !!" Must have been a case of longevity - Buttler in the latter half of 30s while Hetmyer still quite young and essays a specific role that RR like