Match prediction for Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings Match 34 in Bengaluru.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be up against each other in match No.34 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on April 18. RCB will be aiming for their first home victory this season when the two teams meet at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The action is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the RCB vs PBKS match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings IPL 2025 match.
The RCB superstar has been in good form, scoring 267 runs this season at a strike rate of 143. He has smashed three half-centuries in six innings, including 62 not out off 45 in the previous game. Given Kohli’s form and consistency, you can back him to come good in this game.
Punjab Kings have to deal with Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the new ball. RCB have an in-form Phil Salt at the top alongside ever-reliable Virat Kohli, who has shown more intent this season.
Arshdeep Singh has taken eight wickets in the tournament at a strike rate of 17.2. The left-arm pacer bowls with the new ball and in death overs, giving him the best chance of picking wickets. You can expect him to pick up at least one wicket here.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is known for its batting-friendly conditions. The pitches here are usually flat, and short boundaries aid batters further. The venue has been a host to 16 IPL games since 2022, with the average first innings score reading 195. However, the surfaces haven’t been as easy to bat on this season.
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The head-to-head record between these two teams is neck and neck. Punjab Kings have clinched 17 out of 33 matches while RCB have won 16 times. As for the last five encounters, RCB lead the scoreline by 4-1.
The Rajat Patidar-led RCB have won four out of six matches in the tournament, all of which have come away from home. They have a healthy net run-rate of 0.672. In their previous game, they hammered the Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets.
Chasing 173 on a sluggish pitch, Phil Salt made full use of the missed chances and smashed 65 off just 33 deliveries. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 62 off 45 while Devdutt Padikkal also played a 40-run knock.
Possible XII: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Punjab Kings also have four wins in six games this season, with the net run-rate reading 0.172. The Shreyas Iyer-led side is coming off a historic win over Kolkata Knight Riders, where they defended the lowest total in the IPL. Their batters had a horrible outing on a tricky Mullanpur pitch, getting bowled out for 111.
When it looked like KKR were cruising home, Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a magnificent spell, picking four for 28 in four overs. Marco Jansen also played a crucial role, snaring three wickets, including Andre Russell.
PBKS replaced injured Lockie Ferguson with Xavier Bartlett in the last game. They also brought in Josh Inglis in place of Marcus Stoinis. However, with Glenn Maxwell not in great form, they might drop him.
Possible XII: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Marco Jansen, Yash Thakur, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
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The toss-winning team has chosen to field first in each of the last 16 games played here, which shows the chasing bias here. Short boundaries and the dew factor make defending a hard task. So you can expect the trend to continue.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better idea of the match.
The weather is forecast to be partly cloudy in Bengaluru on Friday evening. There could be around 37% cloud cover, with a 20% chance of precipitation. The humidity levels are expected to be around 58%, while wind gusts travel at up to 33 kmph. As for the temperature, it should be around 25 degrees Celsius in the evening.
The betting market has RCB as favourites to win this game at home. RCB will walk into this match with a 54% chance of winning.
Josh Hazlewood has the wood over Shreyas Iyer in the shorter format. The PBKS skipper has managed to score only three runs off 12 deliveries against the pacer and has lost his wicket twice.
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