Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 34th match of IPL 2025. The game will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Both teams have shown glimpses of brilliance, so fans expect a thrilling contest.

RCB Hope to Continue Winning Momentum

RCB enter this match with confidence. They defeated Rajasthan Royals in their previous game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Throughout the match, Bengaluru looked dominant and secured a solid win.

However, RCB haven't enjoyed much success at home. While they have won all four of their away matches, they have also lost both games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. According to Rajat Patidar, those back-to-back home losses are just “coincidences.” Still, they need a win now to avoid turning a pattern into a worrying trend.

Interestingly, RCB lost the toss in both home defeats. They had to bat first on slow pitches. As a result, they posted just 169/8 and 163/7. Later, dew made chasing easier for the opponents. In one home match against Delhi Capitals, RCB made a bold move. They sent Phil Salt to attack early, scoring 50 runs in the first three overs. It was a clever strategy to make the most of the new ball.

PBKS Riding High After Historic Win

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings are also having a mixed season. They sit in fourth place with four wins and two losses. More importantly, they come into this match after a record-setting win against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Notably, PBKS defended the lowest total in IPL 2025 to defeat KKR. Yuzvendra Chahal played a key role in that win. He took four wickets and earned the Player of the Match award. Chahal, who spent eight years with RCB, is the leading wicket-taker at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL history. Therefore, he could pose a serious challenge to his former team.

Moreover, PBKS have a powerful top order. Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer have delivered explosive starts. Arya has scored 216 runs so far, while Iyer has scored 205. In fact, both have some of the highest strike rates among players who have faced at least 50 balls this season.

Head-to-Head Record

Historically, both teams have been evenly matched. RCB and PBKS have played 33 times in IPL. Punjab have won 17 of those, while Bengaluru have won 16. Hence, the rivalry remains close.

Pitch and Weather Update

Generally, the Bengaluru ground is known as a batting paradise due to its short boundaries. But weather could be a factor. The forecast shows clear skies during the day with a high of 33°C. However, there's a slight chance of patchy rain later in the evening, which could impact the match.

Squads

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Liam Livingstone, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Lungisani Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee, Yash Dayal.

Punjab Kings (PBKS): Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Josh Inglis, Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey.