Punjab Kings' challenge to conquer Chinnaswamy 

Betting Odds

Our Predictions 

• Josh Hazlewood has odds of 3.70 to be the RCB's best bowler 
• Arshdeep Singh has odds of 3.90 to be Punjab Kings' best bowler 
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru has odds of 1.71 to be the top batter’s team 
• Punjab Kings have odds of 2.04 to be the top batter’s team 

MATCH PREVIEW     

We have entered the middle of the season in the Indian Premier League 2025. The teams are fighting hard to improve their position on the points table. In this context, we expect a close contest between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Punjab Kings as the two teams battle in the 34th game. The winner of this game can reach the top of the points table. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated the Rajasthan Royals in the last game and look to carry on with this momentum. The Punjab Kings registered a memorable win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the last game. However, they will start this game with lower odds due to their poor record at this venue. Both teams will eye the top spot with a win, and we expect a close contest.  

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Preview     

Rajat Patidar and his men have been clinical this tournament. Since the start of the season, the side has improved its odds on cricket betting sites. They put up an excellent batting performance against the Rajasthan Royals, riding to a 9-wicket win. The batting lineup looks good, and the team has won the last three games against the Punjab Kings. Patidar would like a strong show from his players in this game.  

The opening combination of Virat Kohli and Phillip Salt has been delivering good starts, and the team expects a strong show from the pair. Devdutt Padikkal must anchor the innings in the middle order and add runs with Jitesh Sharma and Liam Livingstone. The team expects runs from Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Krunal Pandya in the lower middle order, as the Kings have a strong batting lineup.  

Bhuvneshwar Kumar used the new ball well against the Royals and must strike early in the game with Yash Dayal. Josh Hazlewood and Krunal Pandya are doing well in the middle overs, and the team expects them to keep the scoring rate under check. Liam Livingstone and Suyash Sharma will look to bowl tight spells in the supporting roles as the Punjab Kings' batters will target them.  

Expected Starting XI for Royal Challengers Bengaluru     

Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Liam Livingstone, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Devdutt Padikkal (Impact Player)  

Punjab Kings Preview     

Shreyas Iyer's team comes into this contest with a breathtaking bowling performance. The bowlers defended 111 runs on the board to win the game by 16 runs. They have won only once at this venue in the last 7 games, which explains their lower odds on cricket betting apps. Iyer likes leading from the front, and he looks to do well in this game and take his team to the top of the points table.  

Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya must deliver a good start, as they will be up against a confident bowling attack. Shreyas Iyer must build partnerships with Nehal Wadhera and Josh Inglis in the middle order. They have depth in the batting lineup and expect quick runs from Glenn Maxwell, Suryansh Shedge, and Marco Jansen in the lower middle order.

The bowling attack will be confident after its brilliant show in the last game. The team needs early wickets from Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett to put RCB's batting off guard. Yuzvendra Chahal will be confident after his match-winning spell in the last game and looks to do well in the middle overs with Arshdeep Singh. The team expects a good show from Glenn Maxwell and Suryansh Shedge in the supporting role.  

Expected Starting XI for Punjab Kings     

Shreyas Iyer (c), Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Suryansh Shedge (Impact Player)  

TOSS: To Bowl First      

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, has a great batting surface, and defending totals at this venue prove challenging. We saw this in the last game played here, where the side chasing the score won easily. The side winning the toss will opt to bowl first in this game.      

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS      

We expect partly overcast skies over Bengaluru. It will be a great track for batting, with the ball coming onto the bat nicely. There isn't much on this track for bowlers. The side that bats first will aim to score 200 runs to feel safe on this track.   

OUR PREDICTION      

The Punjab Kings will be worried about the form of their batsmen. They are struggling against good spin attacks, and their opponents have it. They have a poor record at this venue and must play out of their skins to do well in this game. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a strong batting lineup, and the players know the conditions well. We expect a close game, but the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have the edge.  

Our prediction is for Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win