Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be against each other for the second time in IPL 2025, this time in the 42nd match of the tournament. RCB won the first meeting comprehensively and will look to do the same in this game too. RR will be without Sanju Samson, which is a big blow, but RCB is yet to win a game at their home ground this season which is an opportunity for the visitors.

RCB is third in the points table with five wins and three defeats. They won their last game by seven wickets against the Punjab Kings. Virat Kohli has been in solid form and Devdutt Padikkal’s contributions have been a big positive for RCB this season. Also, Tim David has been excellent with his late-hitting duties, while Phil Salt has been hot and cold, but that is his style of play. 

Bowling has been RCB’s strong suit as Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were exceptional in the last game. Krunal Pandya has been consistent as ever and the other bowlers have assisted them quite well. 

On the other hand, the Rajasthan Royals are in the eighth position with two wins in eight games. They’ve now lost four matches on the trot. Their heavy dependency on the top order to do the bulk of the scoring is one important factor in their poor performance. The likes of Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer have failed to score consistently. Also, RR’s use of their resources has left a lot to be desired as well.

Jofra Archer has looked in good rhythm with the ball for the Royals. Apart from him, none of the bowlers have bowled well with consistency. RR needs to regroup and play as a team if they are to win this game.

In this article, we will look at the possible playing XIIs, M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch report, fantasy cricket tips and Dream11 Prediction for the 42nd match of IPL 2025.

IPL 2025 42nd Match: RCB vs RR Probable Playing XIIs

RCB is expected to be unchanged.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 1. Phil Salt, 2. Virat Kohli, 3. Devdutt Padikkal, 4. Rajat Patidar (c), 5. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6. Tim David, 7. Romario Shepherd, 8. Krunal Pandya, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Josh Hazlewood, 11. Yash Dayal, 12. Suyash Sharma (Impact)

The Royals are expected to be unchanged as well but they might tinker with their combinations after a string of losses. One option is Akash Madhwal over Tushar Deshpande.

Rajasthan Royals: 1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Riyan Parag (c), 5. Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6. Shimron Hetmyer, 7. Shubham Dubey, 8. Wanindu Hasaranga, 9.  Jofra Archer, 10. Tushar Deshpande, 11. Sandeep Sharma 12. Shubham Dubey (Impact)

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

Chinnaswamy is amongst the best batting venues in the tournament but there has been something in it for the pacers this time around. There will be movement on offer for the pacers with the new ball. Batters will enjoy playing in this game and there will be little to no help for the spinners. 

Scores in the range of 180-200 are expected with teams preferring to chase if they win the toss. 

It will be a partly cloudy day with no chance of rain. The temperature will be around 32 degrees Celsius at the start of the game. Cloudy means there shouldn’t be any dew.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for RCB vs RR: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Note: Try to pick more batters and all-rounders if you are playing on Dream11. The new point system rewards the batters heavily.

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks: 

• Phil Salt scored 65 in the last game against the Royals. He took the attack to Jofra Archer and will look to do the same in this game as well. Salt will be in for a big score if he can survive Archer’s new ball burst.   
• Dhruv Jurel will be a key batter for the Royals in the middle order, especially in Samson’s absence. He is a good batter and can score some useful runs in this game. He scored 35* in the last game against RCB. 

Key batter picks: 

• Yashasvi Jaiswal has four fifties in his last five innings. He has looked in great touch at the top and will be a must in your fantasy teams. Jaiswal scored 75 runs in the last game against RCB. He has a good record against Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar. 
• Virat Kohli scored 62* in the last game against the Royals. He also scored a fifty in the last match that RCB played. Kohli has been in exceptional touch and will be a top C/VC option as well. 
• Vaibhav Suryavanshi impressed everyone with his skills in the last game. He will be vulnerable against Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar at the start but he bats positively and can fetch plenty of points in fantasy cricket if he gets going. 
• Rajat Patidar hasn’t had a lot of game time in the last few matches. He’s the best batter for RCB in the middle order, especially against the spinners. Patidar can score big and win games single-handedly on his day. Try him as C/VC while batting first.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Riyan Parag will be an important batter for his side. He has looked in good touch in the last few matches and a big knock is due from him. Parag may also bowl an over or two if required. He will be a must in your fantasy teams.
• Wanindu Hasaranga was ineffective in the last game against RCB but he knows the conditions at the Chinnaswamy quite well and will be the lead spinner for his side. Hasaranga is handy with the bat as well.

Key bowler picks: 

• Josh Hazlewood has 12 wickets in 8 games this season. He’s RCB’s lead bowler and can trouble Rajasthan’s top order with his accuracy and bounce. Hazlewood will be a must in your fantasy teams. You can try him as C/VC on platforms with the older points system.
• Jofra Archer should enjoy the conditions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He can go through any batting line-up on his day. Archer can trouble Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal early on with the new ball.

Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Team 

• Nitish Rana will be a key batter for Rajasthan in the middle order. He can take the attack to the opposition and will be a top differential pick in fantasy cricket.
• Yash Dayal
• Romario Shepherd
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Maheesh Theekshana
• Sandeep Sharma (Bowling first)

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: Matches: 28; PBKS (12), RR (16)
• Virat Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma: 80 deliveries, 116 runs, 7 dismissals.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Yash Dayal: 28 deliveries, 45 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Riyan Parag vs Yash Dayal: 13 deliveries, 10 runs, 2 dismissals.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Josh Hazlewood: 21 deliveries, 55 runs, 2 dismissals.

IPL 2025 42nd Match: RCB vs RR Dream11 Prediction 

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2025 42nd Match: RCB vs RR Match Prediction: Who will win?

Rajasthan Royals lack consistency with the bat, especially in the middle order. Their bowlers have also failed to pick up wickets and it has been a tough ask for them as a side till now. This might be the game where RCB registers their first win at home in IPL 2025.