It’s the ultimate ‘King vs. Prince’ story as Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare to host Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans (GT) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Both teams are looking for a vital victory and ‘The Prince’ will look to rally his wounded Titans and break through ‘The King’s’ stronghold in what promises to be a high-octane encounter.
Despite their recent struggles, the Titans will look to remain confident. However, form is not on their side at the moment. GT enters this match rolling from a crushing 99-run defeat against Mumbai Indiansa loss that exposed significant cracks in their lower middle order.
On the other hand, RCB are slightly better in the table having won four of their last six matches. However, they also enter this game after a frustrating home defeat to the Delhi Capitals. In that match, victory slipped through their fingers in the final when David Miller’s clinical counter attack against Romario Shepherd halted RCB’s momentum.
More than the batting though, it could turn out to be a battle of the bowlers as Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna take on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and possibly Rasikh Salam Dhar. If there is any break or movement on the pitch, it can be a thrilling contest, with elite operators either hitting top speed or using subtle variations to come up with some of the best shots of the game. Krunal Pandya and Rashid Khan, meanwhile, may try to turn things around and bounce back in their teams’ favor during the middle phase.
With this going to be the last league game of the season at Chinnaswamy, RCB will want to take full advantage of the Bengaluru faithful on a track that excels at high scores. RCB will look to make the most of their last home match on M Chinnaswamy (Screen grab from X)
VULNERABILITY
GT’s batting core remains largely unchanged from 2025 and features the formidable trio of Shubman Gill, B. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. While Glenn Phillips is a new signing, the departure of Sherfane Rutherford has left a void.
problem? While Gill and Buttler have scored runs, the top order has not been as prolific as last year. With Sai Sudharsan struggling for rhythm at the top, the middle order was forced into the game too early.
“The middle order has undoubtedly been exposed,” noted GT batting coach Matthew Hayden after the MI defeat. “We shouldn’t allow players like Rahul Tewatia or Shahrukh Khan to face a lot of deliveries. That’s not their role; they don’t train for that.”
GT’s middle order currently stands at just 135, with the fewest number of sixes (eight).
Their execution in the last five overs remains the Achilles heel for RCB. The loss to DC was a prime example of a winning position giving up at the death. Romario Shepherd still has support, but can he keep Jacob Bethel out longer with only team balance pushing his case?
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – At 36, Bhuvneshwar will still be a bowler watch out against GT, given his favorable record against their top order. He dismissed Buttler seven times and Gill four times, not conceding more than 110 hits to either of them.
The top three GTs come into this game after they were all dismissed for the first time in the Powerplay in their last match against Mumbai Indians. Additionally, Jos Buttler has two ducks and two hundreds in the last five innings against RCB.
When RCB bought Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 10.75 crores I honestly thought it was a bad decision but I was wrong about Bhuv, he has been so consistent for RCB.
Congratulations to Bhuvi for completing 200 wickets in IPL. A legit IPL legend
pic.twitter.com/x80X8VxIeF— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) April 5, 2026
Jason Holder – If the West Indian gets the nod ahead of Glenn Phillips, GT may sacrifice batting for the all-rounder, who has been in decent form with both bat and ball since the T20 World Cup. At Chinnaswamy, a venue that offers spongy bounce, Holder’s height and backhand play could make him the X-factor GT might be looking for.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Chinnaswamy is a dough heaven. The short boundaries offer the bowlers little room for error, although the slowing surface in the second half could provide some grip for the spinners. Dew is expected to play a major role, which is likely to provide a significant advantage to the other batting team.
Pitch No. 6, which is used for CSK and LSG games, is likely to be in play for this match. AccuWeather has forecast “Partly Cloudy” for Bengaluru, ensuring a full game of cricket is likely.
HEAD TO HEAD
Historically, there is nothing separating the two sides, with an overall record of 3–3. However, the Titans hold the lead at this particular venue, leading 2–1 at Chinnaswamy. In their last meeting here, GT’s top order made light work of a challenging unit and chased it down with clinical defiance.
PROBABLE XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma
Impact Sub – Rasikh Salaam Dhar
Gujarat Titans (GT): Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Kumar Kushagra, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Impact Sub – Ashok Sharma/Shahrukh Khan
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Published on:
24 Apr 2026 09:22 IST
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