Big picture: Rajasthan Royals are running out of chances

One team is fine-tuning, the other is still mixing and matching. One team can't win at home, the other can't seem to win at all.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) remain winless at home in IPL 2025 - a curious blemish in a promising campaign. Unbeaten on the road and sitting comfortably in the top four, their struggle for a 'W' at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is a riddle they must solve quickly because two of their next three games, including Thursday's against Rajasthan Royals (RR), are at home.

The latest visitors to Bengaluru might be the best opponents for RCB at this stage. RR are on a four-match losing streak, and are stinging from back-to-back heartbreaks - twice failing to score nine runs in the final over, against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). To compound matters, they are without regular captain Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag, standing in as leader, hasn't looked the same force with the bat that he did last season.

While RCB's home form has been poor, their unbeaten run on the road speaks of a team that's found balance and belief - settled players who know their roles. They also know "The Chinnaswamy deserves some wins as well". RR, in contrast, are still tinkering. Questions about their combination continue to linger; their batting often lacks depth despite the Impact Player rule; a misfiring middle order has too often left them chasing games they have controlled up to a point.

They will want to get things right with their playoffs chances fading fast. RCB would hope that doesn't happen just yet.

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru WLWLW (Last five matches, most recent first)
Rajasthan Royals LLLLW

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In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Riyan Parag

When Jofra Archer and Phil Salt last crossed paths in Jaipur, it was a fiery duel. Archer laid the trap - short, sharp and relentless - and Salt, ever the aggressor, took the bait more than once and took Archer down. Since then, Salt has twice fallen in the first over to the short ball, both times to Arshdeep Singh. As round two with Archer looms, the question lingers: will Salt back himself to go for it despite those two reversals against Arshdeep?

Returning from shoulder surgery and rehab, Riyan Parag hasn't been in anywhere near the form he exhibited during a breakout IPL 2024. And he has had more than just that to wrestle with: captaincy duties in half of RR's matches so far have added another layer of weight. His 39 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) nearly saw RR home, but his dismissal with 19 needed off 12 proved costly in a crushing loss. With six games to go and playoffs hopes hanging by a thread, Parag must find that spark again - not just for himself, but for a team in need of a lift.

Team news and likely XIIs

RCB are unlikely to change their combination, barring last-minute niggles or injuries.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash Sharma.

Samson hasn't travelled with the squad to Bengaluru as he nurses a side strain. With the ball, Sandeep Sharma has been off-colour in the last two games. He conceded 19 in a momentum-turning final over against DC and then went for 55 in four overs in their game against LSG. If RR want to look past him, there's Akash Madhwal waiting in the wings.

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Deshpande, 12 Sandeep Sharma/Akash Madhwal.

The big question

Pitch and conditions

The skies over Bengaluru have cleared, and the city has experienced harsh sun most days. The ground staff has covered the Chinnaswamy pitch with two layers of hessian over the past two days, shielding it like a secret. Conditions here this season have been a bit like 2017, when a drainage overhaul brought slow surfaces and low-scoring games. All told, both camps arrive armed with deep local intel, and in RR's corner is head coach Rahul Dravid, a man who knows this ground as well as anyone. Now, it's a question of who can read the signs best.

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Stats and trivia

• RCB's spinners have struggled at home, picking up just one wicket in 15 overs at an average of 144 and an economy of 9.6. Away, they have been far more effective, claiming 15 wickets at 35.1 with an economy of 8.5.

• Virat Kohli has hit unbeaten half-centuries in each of RCB's three successful chases this season, living up to his chase-master reputation.

• RCB are the only team who have gone at an economy rate of under eight in the powerplay this season.

• RR's economy rate of 12.5 in overs 17-20 is the second-worst of all teams this season.

• Archer has single-handedly owned RR's powerplay while bowling, picking up six wickets in 17 overs at an economy rate of 8.2. The others have picked up three wickets in 31 overs.

• After a slow start to the season - 34 runs in his first three games - Yashasvi Jaiswal offers hope for RR, having hit four quick half-centuries in his last five innings.