RCB returns home with momentum while GT battles top-order dependence and old loyalties.
April 2, 2025: The electric streets of Bengaluru brace for a high-stakes IPL clash as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) at a buzzing Chinnaswamy. While Virat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri light up adjacent arenas, it’s cricket that’s center stage—RCB aims for a third straight win, their best season start since 2014.
Having stormed into the IPL 2025 with two consecutive away wins, RCB now enjoy home advantage on dry, run-rich tracks—something they’ve designed their squad for. Meanwhile, GT finds itself over-reliant on the top order, with cracks in the middle and uncertainty in balance.
Also Read: IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer Moves to Second Spot In Orange Cap Race with Unbeaten Half-Century
🚨 Team Watch
🟥 RCB (likely XI):
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma / Rasikh Dar
Also Read: BCCI Fines LSG’s Digvesh Singh Rathi for ‘Notebook’ Send-Off to PBKS Batter Priyansh Arya
🟦 Gujarat Titans (likely XI):
Sai Sudharsan / Anuj Rawat, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Sub: Ishant Sharma
🔎 Spotlight Players
- Devdutt Padikkal (RCB): Playing the Shivam Dube role—early aggression, especially against spin.
- Shubman Gill (GT): Striking at 173.17 this season, but past powerplay struggles haunt him.
- Mohammed Siraj: Facing RCB for the first time after 7 seasons. Expect heat.
🧠 Big Questions
- Should RCB trust leg-spinner Suyash Sharma at Chinnaswamy, where leggies have poor returns?
- Should GT promote Rahul Tewatia higher to make use of his finishing firepower?
🏟️ Pitch & Conditions
Expect a typical Chinnaswamy belter. Dew hasn’t been a big factor recently. If it plays slow, spin could come into play—but RCB may trust Krunal and Livingstone to do the job.
📊 Key Stats
- RCB home win rate since 2023: 50%
- Gill in powerplay (2024): SR 131.08 (lowest among top 15)
- Gill in powerplay (2025 so far): SR 203.12
- Tewatia balls faced per innings: 2022 – 12.3 | 2023 – 5.7 | 2024 – 14.3
🔁 Upcoming Fixtures
- RCB: vs MI (April 7, away), vs DC (April 10, home)
- GT: vs SRH (April 6, away), vs RR (April 9, home)
📌 Tags:
#RCBvsGT, #IPL2025, #ViratKohli, #ShubmanGill, #MohammedSiraj, #DevduttPadikkal, #ChinnaswamyStadium, #RCBHomeGame, #Tewatia, #GTProblems, #RCBWinningStreak,