RCB will host KKR on May 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With a win, RCB can move to the top of the points table while a defeat can ruin KKR’s chances to make it to the playoffs of the competition.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Kolkata Knight Riders in match 58 of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2025. Due to the rising tension in the border states, the cash-rich league was suspended for a little over a week. It created uncertainty among players as several cricketers had refused to come back to India for the rest of the tournament.
RCB didn’t face the same, but they have other worries to deal with. Josh Hazlewood is very unlikely to feature in the match against KKR, while captain Rajat Patidar isn’t completely fit. He was spotted practising with the team in the nets, and if he plays at all, the Madhya Pradesh batter might end up playing as an Impact Sub. In his absence, Jitesh Sharma can lead the side.
There’s uncertainty on Phil Salt’s availability as well. In case the England international misses out, Jacob Bethell will be replacing him. Meanwhile, Bengaluru is set to dress up all white tomorrow to pay a fitting tribute to Virat Kohli, who announced his Test retirement earlier in the week.
For Kolkata, it will be a do-or-die game. The defending champions have 11 points to their name, and another defeat can throw them out of the playoffs race. They will miss the services of Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell, but that won’t hamper the team as these two foreigners haven’t played the majority of the matches. The team management would expect a better batting performance from the middle order, and the rest looks sorted at the moment.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Pitch Report
The surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium looked very different in comparison to other seasons. The spinners got some help from the surface, and it has produced competitive clashes. Anywhere between 170 to 190 can be considered a good total. Meanwhile, rain might play a part and batting second will be ideal.