Match Preview: Royal Challengers and Capitals tussle in a bid to extend early form

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli celebrates the dismissal of Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Verma during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, Monday, April 7, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Royal Challengers Bengaluru takes on Delhi Capitals in a battle between form sides at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday (April 10, 2025).

RCB has enjoyed a good start to the season, winning three of four matches, while DC sits pretty with three straight victories.

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The only blemish for RCB, incidentally, came in its first home match, against Gujarat Titans.

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar, who came into his own with a 32-ball 64 against Mumbai Indians a few days ago, will hope that a sweet homecoming awaits.

The home team will be encouraged by consistent contributions from Virat Kohli and Jitesh Sharma. Experienced left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, who bagged four wickets against MI, has exceeded expectations with the ball.

If opener Phil Salt can find his groove, RCB can be near unstoppable.

Homecoming

The match offers K.L. Rahul the chance to show his wares in a familiar setting. The Karnataka cricketer, a batting mainstay for DC, has benefitted from shifting to a more attacking approach.

Rahul will be tasked with taking on the new ball, in the event that Faf du Plessis is not fit. The South African missed the previous match, but he did have a hit in the nets here on Wednesday.

DC assistant coach Matthew Mottremained non-committal on the availability of the 40-year-old. “I think he’ll get assessed today by the physios. He certainly looks like he’s moving around a lot better. He’s a key player for us,” Mott said.

Asked about the nature of the injury, Mott said: “It’s somewhere in the groin area”.