🏏IPL 2025 - Match 58: KKR vs RCB on 17th May 2025 at Bengaluru🏏

🏏IPL 2025 - Match 58: KKR vs RCB on 17th May 2025 at M C S, Bengaluru🏏

The 18th season of the IPL resumes after a gap of nine days, and we will be having the final on June 3rd. This has been a competitive season and plenty of sides are still in the hunt as we approach the final few weeks.

Kolkata Knight Riders are sixth in the table with five wins, six losses and a no result in twelve matches. They have an outside chance for qualification if they manage to win the rest of their games and other results also go their way. Moen Ali and De Kock will be unavailable for the rest of the season.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been in great form this year, winning eight of the eleven matches so far this season and are second in the table. They will be keen to finish in the top 2 and this promises to be a thriller between these two sides.

The IPL resumes after an eight-day break at a venue where the partisan crowd will come armed with heightened vigour. In this week of non-action, Kohli walked away from Test cricket with a simple Instagram post about it, and is now in for a rousing tribute from the RCB faithful who have plans of turning up in white.

RCB's two wins in five home games don't do justice to how well their fans routinely raise the roof here - there's an unwavering consistency to the unabashed support they've dished out year after year.

It must be déjà vu for so many of them, as the anticipation for the first title is on the rise once again, with RCB sitting pretty at second spot. Between singing praise for Kohli and his Test career, and vociferously getting behind the team for a third home victory that will secure a playoffs spot, emotions for the home section are bound to fly in a different stratosphere.

[Tag and Logo credit to Wildestdreams]

Kolkata Knight Riders' inconsistency this season has robbed their fans - capable of being as passionate - of such joys.

They've been displaced from the emotional roller coaster with a gratifying finish of last season and strapped onto a ride of complete frustration.

The highs of last May, where a third title was secured, have been followed by the abject lows of failing to stitch together even two successive victories until late April this season.

Their campaign hangs by the flimsiest of threads, which could break even if they cap it off with two wins in two.

When: RCB vs KKR, IPL 2025, May 17, 7:30 PM IST

Where: M Chinnaswamy stadium, Bengaluru

Team Watch

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Rajat Patidar batted on two days in the lead-up to the fixture. Mo Bobat, RCB's director of cricket, revealed that the short break in the season helped with the healing process of the hand injury that Patidar sustained at the previous home game, against CSK. Phil Salt also batted long sessions and came through alright after having missed the last two fixtures through illness.

Josh Hazlewood is the only RCB player who hasn't joined the squad as his recovery from the shoulder niggle continues in Australia.

Tactics & Matchups: Ajinkya Rahane has been phenomenal in the PowerPlay this season, scoring 223 runs in this phase at a strike rate of 187.39. Should he arrive early, Patidar might be inclined to chuck Bhuvneshwar Kumar at him. The senior fast bowler has conceded just 104 runs off 117 deliveries to Rahane, and dismissed him seven times.

Probable XII: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell/Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam/Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma

Team Watch --

Kolkata Knight Riders

Injuries/Unavailabilities: Moeen Ali and Rovman Powell haven't rejoined the squad for the resumption. Mooen, who played in KKR's previous two fixtures, could be replaced by Anukul Roy. Against RCB's right-handed heavy top-order, Ajinkya Rahane could get some key overs of left-arm spin from Anukul.

Manish Pandey had replaced Venkatesh Iyer in KKR's previous fixture. Both spent considerable time in the nets on Friday and it could still be a toss up between the two for a middle-order spot.

Tactics & Matchups: Kohli's scoring rate against spin has seen a marked improvement recently [108.2 in 2020-23 and 136.34 in 2024-25], setting up an intriguing match-up against two of the best in the league from KKR. He has scored 136 against Narine in IPL but at a strike rate of just 105.42, while also getting out four times. Those numbers are only marginally better against Varun CV, with 55 off 48 and one dismissal.

Patidar, meanwhile, has slowed down against spin as the season has progressed this year. After getting 57 off 33 against them in the first four games of the season, he has managed just 33 off 35 in the next five, even getting out thrice.

Probable XII: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey/Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Varun CV, Harshit Rana

The surface here will be a balanced one, with good help for both pacers and spinners. Both teams will prefer chasing at this venue.

What to expect:Thunderstorms and a start-stop game? There are showers in the offing on Saturday evening, but if they're just passing and not persistent, the immaculate drainage system at the venue should ensure a game - truncated or otherwise - happens. There was a forecast for rain on Friday evening too, but it stayed away in this part of the city.

Head to head: RCB 15 - 20 KKR. At this venue, KKR have won eight of the 12 games. Since 2023, KKR have four wins in five outings.

Virat Kohli RCB | BAT

Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in this history of IPL with more than 8000 runs. He scored a half century in the previous match and will be a good captaincy pick for this match.

Sunil Narine KKR | ALL

Sunil Narine has picked up 10 wickets in eleven matches and will also open the batting for his team. He will be a good option for this match.

RCB have registered eight wins and suffered three defeats after playing 11 matches in IPL 2025. They can become the first team to make it to the playoffs this season with a win on Saturday. Meanwhile, KKR have to win this encounter to stay mathematically alive in the competition. The defending champions have five wins and six defeats from 11 matches, with one of their games ending without a result.

Virat Kohli RCB | BAT

Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in this history of IPL with more than 8000 runs. He scored a half century in the previous match and will be a good captaincy pick for this match.

Sunil Narine KKR | ALL

Sunil Narine has picked up 10 wickets in eleven matches and will also open the batting for his team. He will be a good option for this match.

RCB have registered eight wins and suffered three defeats after playing 11 matches in IPL 2025. They can become the first team to make it to the playoffs this season with a win on Saturday. Meanwhile, KKR have to win this encounter to stay mathematically alive in the competition. The defending champions have five wins and six defeats from 11 matches, with one of their games ending without a result.

RCB defeated KKR earlier in the season at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the season opener. Krunal Pandya bagged a three-for, helping the visitors restrict the hosts to 174/8. In reply, half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt helped RCB overhaul the target in 16.2 overs with seven wickets to spare.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has seen some high-scoring contests in IPL 2025. However, there have also been some games where there has been more help for the bowlers compared to previous editions at the iconic venue. Winning the toss and opting to bowl first would be the safe choice, as dew could play a massive role in the second innings. There is a 65% chance of rain on Saturday.

RCB vs KKR Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter – Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Kohli has been in scintillating form once again. He is fourth on the list of leading run-getters this season. In 11 matches, he has amassed 505 runs at an average of 63.13 and a strike rate of 143.47. The 36-year-old has already notched up seven half-centuries. He is only five runs behind Orange Cap holder Suryakumar Yadav's tally.

Probable Best Bowler - Varun Chakravarthy (KKR)

Varun Chakaravarthy (Source: IPL)

Varun Chakravarthy has put in some brilliant performances for KKR. In 12 matches, he has accounted for 17 wickets at an average of 19.35 and an economy rate of 7. The mystery spinner will look to weave his magic once again on Saturday.

Did you know?

- KKR have the best economy rate (7.41), best dot ball percentage (35.9) and the lowest boundary percentage (13.11) in IPL 2025

- Varun CV has picked 10 wickets in the middle-overs in IPL 2025 - joint-second best tally with Kuldeep Yadav

- RCB have been the most destructive batting side in the death overs (16-20) with a scoring rate of 11.97