Top player battles to watch out for in the PBKS vs RCB IPL 2025 match

The iconic Chinnaswamy Stadium, home to the fanbase famously touted as one of the most loyal in IPL, is not treating RCB as the home team. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Rajat Patidar in the ongoing IPL edition, have lost three matches so far, all at home. The team started with a commanding win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. In their next IPL 2025 fixture, RCB won a match against CSK at Chepauk for the first time in 17 years. Travelling across cities and beating the home teams, RCB would not have anticipated that a hat-trick of losses awaits them at their den. However, it has happened, with the home team enduring a 5-wicket defeat in the rain-curtailed RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 fixture. Coming out of Bengaluru, there is a chance for RCB to swiftly avenge the defeat as their next fixture is against Punjab Kings again, this time in their backyard.

Key player battles to watch out for in the PBKS vs RCB IPL 2025 match

After nagging drizzles finally provided a window for the RCB vs PBKS to launch into action late at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first against the home team in the match that was reduced to a 14-overs-per-side game. What followed was a shambolic outing for the RCB batting order. At one point, RCB looked poised to beat an unwanted record of registering a lower total than 82, their lowest at the venue. However, Tim David turned the tide, smashing a fiery fifty down the order and taking the total to 95.

In response, Josh Hazlewood staged a threat for PBKS, scalping three wickets in an attempt to defend the low total. However, a fine knock from Nehal Wadhera proved enough for Punjab Kings to chase down the total with five wickets still remaining. Now, heading to the PBKS vs RCB IPL 2025 match, RCB batters might have learned their lessons and found a better way to deal with the Punjab bowlers.

Shreyas Iyer vs Josh Hazlewood

Punjab Kings seemed like the favorite for the win right from the onset at the Chinnaswamy. However, despite just 95 runs on the board, PBKS struggled at the rain-marred turf against the brilliance of Josh Hazlewood. While Punjab eventually won the fixture, it wasn't before the Australian seamer boasted his mastery over the PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer. Prior to this match, Hazlewood had dismissed Shreyas twice across just 12 deliveries.

In the RCB vs PBKS match, the wickets tally increased another time, as Hazlewood has now dismissed Iyer thrice across 16 deliveries. Iyer, meanwhile, has managed to hit just 5 runs against the RCB seamer so far. The PBKS vs RCB IPL 2025 match provides another chance for the Punjab captain to overturn the equation against Hazlewood now that RCB heads to Mullanpur. 

Jitesh Sharma vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Barring an unbeaten knock against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede, RCB has not enjoyed the support they would have hoped for with Jitesh Sharma in the middle. The wicketkeeper-batter talked about adapting to a fiery role in the RCB lineup. However, across the six matches, Sharma has not managed to showcase the said fire except at Wankhede.

Against his former franchise, Punjab Kings, Sharma in IPL 2025 has another reason to struggle. Yuzvendra Chahal, the spin master, has a history of troubling Jitesh, one that he showed again at Chinnaswamy in the last fixture. The spinner has dismissed Jitesh Sharma thrice across 33 deliveries in the league, including the dismissal in the RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 match. 

Prabhsimran Singh vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Punjab Kings would like for their opener, Prabhsimran Singh, to show more consistency in his onslaught. The batter has not been able to convert his knocks into big scores in IPL 2025 so far. RCB, meanwhile, has just the right candidate to extend the Punjab opener's struggle in the PBKS vs RCB IPL 2025 match. Bhuvneshwar Kumar seems to have the key to manage the young batter. Including his dismissal in the last match at Chinnaswamy, the seasoned speedster has scalped Prabhsimran's wicket four times across a span of 29 deliveries. With a sum of 46 runs against the RCB seamer, Prabhsimran averages a disappointing 11.6 against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.