Two days after collapsing against Punjab Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Shreyas Iyer’s side once again in the Indian Premier League on Sunday, April 20.
Bengaluru played one of their worst games of the season on Friday, in a rain-curtailed encounter at home. Sent in to bat, the hosts were restricted to just 95/9 in 14 overs. Punjab’s fast bowlers dominated early, reducing Bengaluru to 33/5 in just 6.1 overs. If not for Tim David’s heroic fifty in the final few overs, Bengaluru might have been bowled out for 60–70 runs.
Punjab stuttered slightly during the chase but managed to reach the target in 12.1 overs out of the allotted 14. All the former RCB players in the Punjab XI performed well, ensuring their team’s strong run in the tournament continued.
However, the venue changes now, as RCB—impressive away from home—travel to Mullanpur, Punjab’s new base. RCB’s best hope of beating Punjab may simply be the fact that they’re not playing at Chinnaswamy. Andy Flower’s team has used its resources smartly, adapting its playing style depending on the situation. When Phil Salt fires, he has taken games away from the opposition. When he hasn’t, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and Jitesh Sharma have stepped up to assert control.
This could be another gritty and hard-fought battle between the two sides.
In their last match at Mullanpur, Punjab defended the lowest total in IPL history—against KKR—on a pitch many believed would yield a 200-plus score. PBKS will look to wrap up their Mullanpur leg on a high before moving to their adopted home in Dharamsala, where they held their pre-season camp.
PBKS vs RCB: Head-to-Head
After the last match, Punjab Kings lead the head-to-head record 18–16 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
PBKS vs RCB: Team News
Punjab handed Harpreet Brar his first game of the season, another smart tactical call from the Ricky Ponting-led team management, given RCB’s heavily right-handed batting lineup. The move worked like a charm, so Brar is likely to feature again.
PBKS vs RCB: Predicted Playing XIs
PBKS Predicted XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Josh Inglis (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Sub: Harpreet Brar
RCB Predicted XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma
IPL 2025: Top Fantasy Picks
PBKS
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Priyansh Arya
- Arshdeep Singh
- Marco Jansen
- Harpreet Brar
RCB
- Krunal Pandya
- Phil Salt
- Virat Kohli
- Rajat Patidar
- Suyash Sharma
PBKS vs RCB: Pitch and Weather Conditions
It is expected to be extremely hot during match hours in Mullanpur on Sunday, with no chances of rain. The pitch is likely to favor batting, with a winning total expected to exceed 200 runs.
